What He Left Behind
by TheTwins1-2
Summary: Two weeks after Midoriya "Deku" Izuku defeated the dreadful successor of All for One and disappeared, the Hero Class of 1A tries their best to cope with their sudden loss. And just when the weight of their grief proved to be too much, they discovered that Deku lives on in a manner they didn't expect… *Heroic Inheritors Prequel *Minor Genre Friendship *AO3 XPost
1. Chapter 1: Midoriya's Sacrifice

**I own nothing.** **Warning, may contain Out of Character moments.**

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Smoke, flame, rubble… That was all Bakugou could see. Combined with the pained groans, panicked cries, and despairing whimpers of his classmates, the Explosive Hero knew this was it… This was their darkest hour. And yet… HE fought on…

Though bloodied and broken, Midoriya continued to stand up against the devil incarnate, the murderous current bearer of All for One… Shigaraki Tomura. He was the last one, the rest of 1A were down for the count, awake but too injured to aid All Might's Successor against the Villain's next, inevitable onslaught.

"Look at this… I almost feel sorry for you… Almost… So what are you going to do now Heroes? Ready to surrender?" Shigaraki never bothered to hide his contempt towards the group, seeing them as an eyesore that needed to be erased. With all his power, he should be very capable of doing such a thing. But the Villain felt the need to sadistically twist the knife, taunt them over the failure that would inevitably come.

And they all would've fallen into despair had it not been for the unyielding back that faced them. The undaunted stance of Deku was their pillar of strength, their unbreakable resolve, their unwavering hope.

"I don't think you get it, Shigaraki-san… No matter how much you thrash us, we'll never give in… Each of us will give you Hell in our own special way… Until either you go down… Or you vaporize us… There's no going in between…" Midoriya answered. Bakugou, even if Deku was facing away from him, could tell what that nerd's face looked like when he said that, no doubt flashing that stupid smile of his.

"Oh please do explain Hero… How are your weak Quirks supposed to stop me? I'm untouchable! Not a scratch on me!" The Villain's sickening laugh as he flaunted his perfect health was certainly a grating way to show off his Hyperactive Regeneration and Lizard Tail Quirks. When they had first discovered that power, it was the start of their spiral into despair as every last bit of damage inflicted onto Shigaraki was restored. He even regenerated the arms and legs Mina so lovingly melted off his body.

He had a point… How do they defeat someone so perfectly invincible? But even if he didn't have an answer, Deku was still standing proudly as One for All began flowing through his veins once more.

"I don't know Shigaraki-san… But that doesn't mean we'll stop trying… Doesn't mean I'll stop trying…" Midoriya replied, raising bloodied arms and readying his unsteady legs. The soft glow of the power cultivated through many generations never ceased to amaze his classmates… It was much like a flame, gentle and warm enough to be drawn in but dangerous should enough kindle be added. Though from how Shigaraki was behaving, the Villain arrogantly threw a verbal forest at his foe. Seeing that nothing could best him at this point, not even All for One's opposite at 100 percent.

"Please, what could you possibly do to me!? Face it! You failed! There isn't a single Quirk that could beat me! It's Game Over for all Heroes! Now and forever!" He laughed. It was disturbing to think about it… But he's right… With overwhelming power like that, what Quirk could win this fight? When the Villain has every advantage possible, Heroes will be forced to bow down to this mad man…

Still, Midoriya hasn't flinched. In fact, he seemed more determined than ever as the glow around his body intensified.

"Maybe there's nothing that could beat you… But don't you think that'll be enough to bring us down… The end of Heroes? That's so funny I forgot to laugh…" The glow around Midoriya continued to brighten, shining harshly enough to be blinding and yet no one could look away.

"Listen… It's not the Quirk that makes a person a Hero, it's the warm feelings that dwell deep in their heart to save those who couldn't save themselves... In a world of chaos and fear, the one you so desperately want to create… There will always be someone who'll stand up for all that's good and fight to end for it… That's why you'll never win… Not now, not ever… Not when there'll be someone standing in your way… No matter how weak they are… No matter how battered or broken they may be… So long as they carry the flame I carry, that All Might carried, then your 'dark age' will never come… We'll push back your evil just as the sun pushes back the night. And if we fail? We'll go beyond that and FORCE the sun to rise…" Midoriya said, a strong grin plastering his face. The glowing stopped…

Only for an unseen force to explode out of the green haired Hero, blowing back his foe. But it was more than that, the inhumanly invincible Shigaraki actually flinched before the demonstration of Deku's will. And Bakugou could see it, the Villain was afraid… Even more so when the ground around Midoriya began eroding.

"Are you cheating!? You shouldn't have this much power!"

"It looks like you haven't learned your lesson, Shigaraki-san… This isn't a cheat…" Though he was a meek, mumbling fool most of the time… Class 1A knew, when he was determined, Midoriya's whispers would always roar. And its effects were evident as Shigaraki took a step back for the first time since this battle started. And he took a second when the cloud of dancing dust behind Midoriya expanded more and more, as though he was an angel spreading his wings.

"When just enough isn't enough… When perfect isn't perfect… When we've reached our absolute limit… UA taught us four simple words to fix that… Let me show you what they are…" With the way the air chilled, 1A was certain that their friend had just channeled one Hell of a death glare. Reflexively, the Villain activated every CQC Quirk he has in his arsenal, mutating his body into a giant grotesque, six limbed mass of bone, flesh, steel, wood, and every material in between. But despite this, there was still a cold sweat that ran down his body and trembling in his bones.

"W-W-What are you!?" The raspy sound of fear from his throat was satisfying. And it only got better when Midoriya gave him an honest answer, the only thing Shigaraki needed to know.

"I'm a Hero… And my name is Deku, the one who never gives up."

He charged forward, each step launching him like a bullet. White light surrounded his body as both Hero and Villain came within striking each other. But as the first punch was thrown, things seemed to slow down, at least, for Bakugou. Then a voice began speaking to him… The voice of the Hero in the spotlight… He wasn't sure what was going on, but from the way it sounded… Midoriya wasn't going to make it out of this fight…

"Kacchan… Could you please look after everyone? I don't think I'll be graduating with you guys…"

And that pissed him off.

"The fuck are you going on about you nerd! What about being number one!? You cried your eyes out every damn time I shit on your dreams, and now you're just going to throw it away!?"

"I know you're probably yelling at me about giving up… But I don't mind laying down my life right now to give everyone a chance to live… You all deserve much more than dying here with me…"

It was here that the Explosive Hero realized that Deku couldn't hear him, it was one way. Still, that didn't stop him from shouting out to his greatest rival. He screamed and cursed but there were no responses being attributed to anything that came out of his mouth. Midoriya couldn't hear him, only speaking what basically amounts to his final testament. His parting words to a person who antagonized him throughout the entirety of his life…

"Even Mineta-kun shouldn't die here. Despite everything he does, I still believe he could be a great Hero… Kacchan, could you tell him that I'll be cheering him on?"

"Damn it! Don't you fucking tell me to do it when you could! Live you little shit! Tell that to him yourself!"

"Kouda-kun too… He's quiet, but I know he could do a lot with his Quirk… A little courage is all he needs really, could you help him?"

"Do it yourself! You'll make it through this!" Bakugou could already begin to feel his throat growing raspier and more guttural, but continued to scream out in hopes that it could break through this psychic barrier between them. He wasn't about to let that nerd think things were over, there was still so much to do. That they still had a rivalry to settle. That he still had to take care of the shrimp. That he still had to get together with round face. That he still had to be the de facto leader of their chaotic mess of a class. That he still had to graduate and become the Number One Hero… That he still had to live a fulfilling life…

"And there's still a bunch of things I need you say to everyone… Like thanking Iida-kun for being the best class president I had… For looking after all of us…"

"Thank him yourself!"

"Like telling Todoroki-kun to always remember to be himself… That I'm glad he's more than what his father forced him to be…"

"Tell him yourself!"

"Like thanking Tsuyu-chan for being the rock in my crazy life… She really kept me grounded when things were going wrong…"

"Damn it you little shit! Listen!"

"Like thanking Uraraka-san for supporting me through thick and thin… For cheering me up when I'm feeling down… For sharing her 'never giving up' vibes…"

"Don't do this you idiot… Please…"

"Like thanking Eri-chan for teaching me what it means to be a Father… What it means to give people hope… What it means to share warmth…"

"Fuck… Fuck…"

"Like thanking Mom for loving me and everything I am… The Quirkless me… The Heroic me… The Son that always hurt himself… Her little Izuku…"

"DEKU!"

"And Kacchan?"

Bakugou didn't know when the tears started falling from his face, but it was only now that he noticed. It was here in this space frozen in time that the explosive Hero became aware, completely lucid to his surroundings. Deku and Shigaraki were about to trade their first blows… Uraraka was sobbing, screaming his name as she tried in vain to get up… Iida desperately crawling towards the battle, in hopes to give his dear friend any kind of support... Tsuyu's face in absolute denial over Midoriya's fate… All of them were calling out to him… But he couldn't hear them…

They could hear him though, piercing the silent air that hung over them all. And the roar has most certainly shattered their already fragile will to press on.

"Thank you for everything… For pushing me around… For teaching me strength… For being my rival… For being my friend… For first giving me the name I could be proud of…"

A single word couldn't be uttered as time began to speed up again. Bakugou's last chance to speak robbed when Deku gave his final words clearly, concisely, and without regret.

"Thank you everyone… And good bye…"

The Hero and Villain struck each other, a blinding flash enveloped them both as they all cried out his name.

"DEKU!" Bakugou screamed as he shot up, right arm reaching out.

Though his eyes were barely adjusted to the light, Bakugou could tell this wasn't that rubble strewn street where things went wrong for 1A. Blinking a few times and registering whatever feedback he was getting from his senses, he concluded that…

He was in a fucking hospital…

He was sitting on a shitty hospital bed…

He was wired to some damn IVs…

And that his Mom, Mitsuki, was sitting next to the bed.

"You're awake, let me go get the doctor." She said as she got up.

"Hold up, what happened to Deku?"

She didn't answer his question, only looking over towards a pile of newspapers stacked up on the side table besides some get well cards. Snagging all of them, Bakugou began reading each of the dates to get some bearing on what happened. The earliest was from two weeks ago… Was he out for that long?

 **The Sun Rises Over Japan Once More**

What's considered to be the worst battle since the Kamino Disaster, the Heroes of UA's Class 1A squared off against Shigaraki Tomura, the heinous leader of the League of Villains, and defeated him in a dreadful battle seen by all. It is not without tragedy however as all have suffered serious injury and one Midoriya "Deku" Izuku has been MIA since paramedics and additional Heroes arrived on scene. What's more is that Shigaraki has also been confirmed to be MIA. What will our future hold when both the Greatest Hero and Villain are nowhere to be found?

Bakugou tossed that paper aside and picked up the next one, its date from a week ago. He was trembling, eyes widening to every word he came across, breath held stiller than a standing stone…

 **A Glimmer of Hope in the Dark**

Both Midoriya "Deku" Izuku and Shigaraki Tomura are still MIA as their respective sides continue to recover from last week's battle. The Hero Association has been stretched thin with the cleanup and the public is still in a state of unrest. However, despite this disorder, crime rate has never been lower. While there are several reasons for this, this astonishing statistic could be attributed to the video posted on the internet involving Midoriya's inspiring words that fateful night. Though he's still missing, his speech has inspired many to watch the streets for trouble as Heroes continue clean up the damage. Midoriya's family or close friends were not available for comments on this incredible trend.

Throwing that away, the explosive Hero picked up the next one… Though his heart stopped when he did, he wasn't ready for what he was about to read. This one's from today…

 **Farewell to the One True Hero**

With every corner of Japan scoured, both Midoriya "Deku" Izuku and Shigaraki Tomura were unable to be located and have been declared deceased. The Nation's heart goes out to the boy who stood for all things heroic…

"FUCK!" Bakugou couldn't take it anymore, chucking that paper away with enough force to scatter the individual pages. He was really dead? That nerd wanted to prove to the world he was going to be the Greatest Hero… Now he's just, gone... The pebble turned boulder just suddenly crumbled and left Bakugou without an obstacle, a clear run towards his goal to be number one. Yet…

"Not like this… This wasn't how it's supposed to end…"

Mitsuki closed her eyes as her son let out his emotions in a scream, raw and unfettered. She reached out to him, despite knowing how he dislikes being touched, and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. And Bakugou made no attempt to shake it off, too focused on his own falling tears and aching heart. It would be a good while before he considered to stop…

On the same paper he just scattered, there is mention of a memorial service held for Deku at UA in five days time. And though only family and friends could personally attend, the public could still send in letters of condolence… Anything to comfort those who knew the boy that became the One True Hero…

* * *

 **And that is Chapter 1 to this story I'm working on! So what do you think? Do you like it?**

 **"You devilish fiend! I can feel it in my heart!"**

 **Of course you could. Anyway, this is but a glimpse into this project as I'm still planning the rest out for maximum heart clenching. And with any luck, I'm able to make you, the dear audience, to feel the pain of my heart too.**

 **"Then what kind of masochist would want to read this? Actually, scratch that, lots of folks read sad shit."**

 **Exactly, and I'm about to jump onto the feels train. But anyway, please leave your questions, comments, and concerns in the usual place and I'll answer it as soon as possible. So with that said...**

 **Until Next Time. T1.**


	2. Chapter 2: Midoriya's Faith

**I own nothing.** **Warning, may contain Out of Character moments.**

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Not wanting to sit in a damn hospital for any longer, Bakugou convinced the doctors to discharge him. Surprisingly, his mother let him shout and swear his way out, knowing that there was somewhere else he would rather be. And after several time-consuming health tests, the explosive Hero stiffly walked out into the late afternoon air looking alive yet feeling dead inside. Even the weather agreed with him, seeing how bright the overcast was…

"Why didn't you stop me?"

"You clearly needed to go somewhere, so I let you run your mouth."

He simply stared at his mother as she lead him down the street, where he saw his father, Masaru, waiting besides a car. No matter how many problems he gave them and vice versa, Bakugou still loved his parents for everything they do. And after everything that's happened, maybe it's about time to start showing some damn appreciation…

"Thanks…"

"No problem kid. Do you want something to eat?" Mitsuki asked as she opened the passenger side door, Bakugou doing the same with the back-seat door.

"As much as I want good shit in my stomach, I need to be getting back. See what I missed."

"Alright, just don't go cursing them out when you end up starving." Masuru replied, starting up the car. Throughout the drive back to UA, Bakugou was filled in about the state of Japan after that fateful battle. From how the chaos of clean up took a while to settle… To how Class 1A earned the highest honors from the Government… To how the moniker 'One True Hero' for Midoriya came about… He listened without asking any questions, this was the only way for him to make sense of anything after waking up. Luckily, he was able to get everything he needs to know by the time he reaches UA. With a quiet farewell between Parent and Child, Bakugou walked through the gates of his school once again. He was home…

Or at least…

So he thought. When walking into the 1A dorms, it was absolutely quiet and completely devoid of any other sensory cue that someone was there. His classmates' shoes were here as well, so they're here… Well, except one. Bakugou violently shook his head, there's no use breaking down here. Moving further in, he found his rest of his classmates just sitting about crestfallen and in clear denial. Well, most of them, Uraraka, Tsuyu, Mineta, and the class adopted child Eri isn't anywhere he could see. Before he could speak up, someone finally noticed him, the King of Explodokills has returned.

"Hey man, you're back." Kaminari's greeting was simple enough, but the gold-haired Hero sounded exhausted. Even more so when he wore that fake smile on his normally cheery face. The rest looked up, but by the looks swimming in their eyes, none of them were fairing any better. He could tell, they're all still grieving… Hell, HE was still aching over this… Over that damn nerd…

"Where's round face, the frog, and the shrimp?" Bakugou asked.

"Uraraka-san and Eri-chan are in Midoriya's room… Asui-san is cooped in her own room…" Yaoyorozu was doing her best to remain composed. But even she and Iida were struggling to keep themselves from falling further into the depression spiral. Though that resolve wouldn't last long when a somber chuckle rattled the overbearing silence. Surprisingly or unsurprisingly, no one could tell which, it came from their self-proclaimed Alien Queen, Mina.

"Re-Remember how Midori would mumble a whole lot when he's writing in his little notebook? He would always look so serious!"

"Yeah… And 1B would look so awkward when they hear it…" Tooru replied with a sad laugh.

"Studious and ever focused…" Tokoyami agreed. Though the crow was still serious and flat toned, there was an air of sorrow that laced his voice.

"I mean just last month, he… He… Midori…" Mina couldn't finish, tears began falling as her once cheery face twists into a shadow of her normal self. She couldn't even say his name again without it coming out as a choked sob, tears and wails growing more and more intense. And that was the straw that broke the camel's back, the catalyst that broke down whatever remained of their fractured spirits. Bakugou witnessed the crumbling of the Heroic resolve he once saw in each of them, being replaced by a mess of grief, rage, and denial. He himself could feel his own heart breaking down again, desperately wanting to be part of this mire of sorrow.

But no, he can't, someone must keep everyone together somehow… Even if he has no idea how to do that… What was he supposed to say without pushing them all further down?

"He's really gone… Midoriya's D… D…" Tooru couldn't admit it, no one could blame her, everything that happened was already too much. Ojiro offered a comforting embrace to the invisible girl, who accepted it and clung to him earnestly. It was always hard to tell what kind of expression Tooru had without differing to body language and tone of voice… But it was a small blessing of sorts that they didn't have to witness the face she would make when crying. A sight like that, their bubbliest classmate, would surely cause them all to sink even further…

But that's only part one of the equation.

"GOD DAMN IT!" Kirishima's anger didn't really startle them, it was in fact understandable. But the action that followed his shout made their eyes widen… The crimson haired Hero punched through the wall.

"WHY IS IT ALWAYS PEOPLE LIKE HIM THAT HAVE TO DIE!?"

"Kirishima-kun please! I understand your anger! But please don't vandalize the dorm! This was Midoriya-kun's home too!" Iida shouted, tears flying from his face. Kirishima clenched his injured fist, gritted his shark like teeth… But he ultimately softened and fell upon the wall he just struck. Slowly falling to the ground and slumping over, the Hero began silently wallowing in his regret and shame.

"Yeah… He wouldn't want this…"

"He's an understanding guy, nice and forgiving. Don't beat yourself up about it." Sero gave an encouraging but melancholic smile.

"He always saw the best in us, even in Mineta… Maybe Midoriya died because he was too good for this world…" Kyouka wondered, wiping at her eyes again.

"Never a crack in his virtuous heart, a true saint who blessed us with his grace. Sleep soundly now noble prince, for the flight of doves shall sing thee to thy gentle rest…"

"What a nice take on Shakespeaer's Hamlet Kaminari-san. I'm sure Midoriya-san would've loved to hear it…"

"Thanks Yaomomo…"

"He would've been around to had I been stronger…" Bakugou swore the room turned several degrees colder with those words in the air. The tension doubled as watery eyes turned to the class former ice king, bearing witness to his own brand of sorrow called loneliness.

"We did the best we could Todoroki…"

"Did we really Shouji? Midoriya… He pushed himself past his own limits, went beyond… And what did we do during all that? We did nothing but watched as he died for us! All the training we did! The battles we went through! And that was seriously the best we could do!? Midoriya needed the help and we let him down! If we didn't choose to save those civilians, then may–!"

Todoroki couldn't finish that line, a slap across the face interrupted him. Dual colored eyes didn't blink as he stared at the person in front of him who did the deed… His Vice Class President who stared back through puffy, tear stained eyes.

"Todoroki-san… Don't you dare say something like that… Midoriya-san would be disappointed if we chose his life over those that couldn't protect themselves…"

"…I lost my head for a moment… It's been two long weeks… And I still haven't gotten over any of this… Sorry…"

"None of us have… Two weeks… And it still feels like Midori was here just yesterday…" Mina softly cried as she curled up into a ball.

"Umm… Is this a bad time?"

The class turned to the source and saw their short pervert standing about. But there was something different about him, they just weren't sure what it was though…

"Mineta-kun? Was there something you need?" Iida asked, wiping the tears from his glasses.

"Yeah. I know this is going to sound weird, but I need Yaomomo to make me a wheelbarrow."

Where once the room was consumed by sadness and tension… It was now occupied by immense confusion. Tears were still falling, but that didn't stop anyone giving Mineta the strangest look.

"A… What?" Bakugou wasn't sure if he heard that right either.

"A wheelbarrow, one for my height. I need it to take care of something."

The way the imp said it was completely serious, there was absolutely zero Mineta in his voice. There was no whining or desperate shouting, only speaking. This is what ultimately won the Vice Class President over, despite the confusion buzzing about her consciousness over accepting the request.

"I'll do it, but it's going to take some time. What was your height Mineta-san?" Yaoyorozu began unbuttoning her shirt, causing the other girls to scramble to stop her… Only for them to stop when they saw Mineta, again, not acting like his usual self. He was completely composed and wasn't twitching with perverse excitement over the fact that he managed to get the usual target of his depraved curiosity to undress. In fact, he actually turned around and walked away as to given the girl some decency.

"Thanks, I'm 109 cm right now. You can leave it by the elevator when you're done and I'll come back for it later."

Just as emotions flared earlier, the bafflement couldn't be any higher over this encounter. The Avatar of Pure Lust just went through a civil conversation with Yaoyorozu without him devolving into sexually charged mess.

"Am I the only one weirded out by this?"

"No, no… I think we're all weirded out by this Satou…" Ojiro answered, scratching the back of his head with his tail.

"Do you think our little friend has lost it? I saw him carrying around some twine, garbage bags, and boxes earlier." This time, it was Aoyama who laid that suggestion onto the table. It wasn't long before a dark image wormed its way into their collective thought space… And that was when the panic entered the picture, so much so that no one could tell who was saying what.

"Oh God! Is that why he needs a wheelbarrow!?"

"Shit! You don't think he–!?

"He wouldn't! We're all still here!"

"Would that even stop him!?"

"Maybe!? I don't know how he thinks!"

"Someone go get Asui-kun and Uraraka-kun! The rest of us will confront Mineta-kun!"

Swept away by the stampede, Bakugou found himself being dragged along without offering a single ounce of resistance. What happened to him? When did he become so complacent? Before the explosive Hero could get any time to mull over his thoughts, he noticed he was just pulled past Midoriya's room, a few people banging on it to get it open. And before Bakugou could see the results of that endeavor, he and several other classmates barged through the open door of Mineta's room.

And since no one has been inside, it was both a surprising and unsurprising sight. On one end of the spectrum, there was a lot of lewd material scattered about the place. On the other… It was in the process of being tied up and placed in garbage bags and boxes. The imp in question only stared at his unwarranted invaders before going back to his work, as if nothing happened. And like his composed self from moment ago, Mineta acting so serene whilst being surrounded by smutty material elicited more bewildered expressions.

"What the Hell are you doing grapist?" Seeing that the rest of them were too unsure, Bakugou decided to cast the line to see if he could fish up any answers. And luckily for him, Mineta was more than willing to talk. Though it was using his recent calm and steady tone…

"What does it look like? I'm cleaning up…"

"You never bothered picking up this trash before, so why now?"

"I could say the same to you. You never bothered with any of us before, so what's different?"

The others' confusion piled up, rarely did the imp bounced back an observant response that didn't involve his perverse nonsense. Even more, said observation was about Bakugou, the Human Grenade. But then again, why were neither of them acting like normal? Bakugou wasn't screaming nor was Mineta cowardly whining, almost as if they saw eye to eye.

"I guess I'm just a little caught up on that shit Deku…"

"Me too Bakugou… Me too…"

For a good while, neither of them spoke up as Mineta continued to throw away the erotic filth that littered the place. It was so long before any of them talked that Tsuyu and Uraraka came about, Eri clinging to the latter's shirt.

"What's going on?"

"Oh Ochako-chan… Um, Mineta is throwing away his trash?" The brunette raised a tired eyebrow at her invisible friend, she really hasn't been able to rest well and is slightly delirious. Tokoyami was kind enough to clarify things for the exhausted girl.

"Correction, his USUAL trash."

"Oh… Didn't he throw that away before?" The girl remembered how the imp threw out it all away when Eri was first admitted into the dorm. This is after he taught Eri about how to protect herself from unsavory characters like him. So whatever respect Uraraka had for him just went out the window… Though this new situation might have her reevaluate Mineta.

"I did… I was afraid Eri might find all of this… See that I was really the type of person I taught her to avoid… I really thought I could overcome this because of her… But habits are so hard to kill… So all of this eventually came back and I just got better at hiding it…" Mineta heard the girl outside, admitting to his return to deviancy so calmly. But she couldn't be mad at him, not with that kind of voice emanating from his throat.

"What changed?" This time it was little Eri that asked, sounding just as exhausted as the rest of them.

"Your Dad Midoriya… He changed everything after that battle… I don't know if any of you heard him before he went on to fight that monster… But he talked to me…" Bakugou flinched at that statement and based on how everyone else did the same, looks like he wasn't alone in that weird phenomenon.

"He told me that he believed in me… Believed that I could be a great Hero… A kind of faith I know I don't deserve… Yet there he was giving it to me… And after I woke up, I began thinking about myself and what I've been up till that point… And now I realize that I'm the worst…" Mineta's fist tightened, eyes getting bleary, frustration growing.

"What was there to believe in? Where was this Hero Midoriya could see? I was a coward, weak, and the worst pervert this side of the world had to offer… I thought about giving up so that no one would deal with me… So I won't get in the way of true Heroes like you guys… But that would betray what he believed, that I could be like you guys… And I can't stand doing that to someone like him…"

"Yeah… Betraying Midoriya is the worst thing anyone could do…" Todoroki agreed.

"See, he gets it… When I looked around this room, all of this junk reminds me of the me that no one believes in… The me that would surely throw out the faith Midoriya gave me… The me with flaws that ate away at the Hero I could be… So I decided that enough was enough and started to pack it away. I'm going to reinvent myself, start from the ground up, get serious, and be something more than just trash... For the guy who believed that I could, I'll show him that I am."

Mineta was always small, way shorter than anyone in the class. But when he made that declaration, the sniveling, perverted coward of a man stood much taller than before. It was a presence they never feel from him, seeing that he would prefer chasing women than accomplishing his goal. But now, they too felt like Mineta could finally be a Hero.

"Even if you guys don't believe me, I'll keep going until I either graduate or get kicked out. And though I still want to be a Hero that's cool with the ladies… I'll first be a Hero that's cool with everyone, just like Midoriya."

"Dude, you're starting to sound like a real man!" Kirishima shouted excitedly. It was refreshing to hear the Crimson haired Hero be in such high spirits, his good mood was spreading to everyone else.

"Now let's not get carried away Kirishima, it's still way too early to tell if this is going to stick. Give it a few months and if I haven't jumped back down the pit, you could give me a little bit of praise. And I still have a long way to go, so… Could you guys leave me to my work? Please?"

There was a nod from them all and they all began clearing out. Bakugou watched as the faces that were once filled with despair and hopelessness have a little life breathed into them again. He looked at the little imp once more as he continued to throw away his trash, looking nothing like his old self. Deku made a Hero out of a Pervert, and all it took was his death to do it.

"Uncle, Mineta wants to be alone." Eri said, tugging at the explosive Hero's jeans. He looked at the white-haired girl before silently walking out, muttering something to the still downtrodden Uraraka as he blew by.

"If something's wrong Round Face, you have all of us to talk to."

"I know Bakugou… Thanks…"

The explosive Hero continued walking before stopping in front of Midoriya's half open door. Pushing it open, he could see the nerd's collection of All Might memorabilia covering every inch of the room. He saw the silver age figure standing on the desk and went to pick it up, contemplatively stared at it.

"Believing in someone… Only you would say something so sappy…"

Placing the figure back down, Bakugou proceeded to leave the room, not caring that Uraraka was giving him a questionable stare. It's been a long day and he's certainly going to need the sleep.

5 days until the Memorial Service…

* * *

 **And that is Chapter 2! Today is Mineta's time to shine and for his Birthday, I've given him the greatest gift! Self-Redemption!  
**

 **"At the cost of a good friend, but sure. Let's just roll with that."**

 **Hush. When thinking about how I'm going to go about this story, I needed to think about 1A's personality and how they'll change in reaction to Midoriya's sacrifice. So for Mineta, did what I do make sense? For Midoriya, no matter how badly a person acts, he'll always believe that they could become a Hero. I mean just look at Bakugou.**

 **"Just don't let him hear you. Being compared to the little imp will make anyone feel _DIRTY_ ".**

 **But it's true, Mineta and Bakugou fit the criteria of classical Heroes because they each have a fatal flaw, with Mineta's being Lust while Bakugou is Wraith with a bit of Pride. And in ancient Myth, those things will be their down fall if they do not shed it. So who's better than Midoriya, the One True Hero, to help them shed those issues?**

 **"Point..."**

 **Anyhow, please leave your comments about these matters hero. Also I must apologize to Johnny Spectre and his friend Rex101111 for borrowing their ideas without asking. Between schoolwork and writing, I failed to remember to find time to ask to use their brilliantly heartwarming concept of having 1A serve as Eri's surrogate family. I've read their works and I'm touched by how much they care for the albino Unicorn Child, so much so that I find myself waiting for their next story involving the girl. So I give my thanks to you two with every fiber of my creative writing soul.  
**

 **"I'm not even going to say anything, that was just splendid."**

 **It probably isn't... But that is all I have this week. So...**

 **Until Next Time. T1.**


	3. Chapter 3: Midoriya's Courage

**I own nothing.** **Warning, may contain Out of Character moments.**

* * *

He did not rest well even though he slept for a good eleven hours. It's about eleven thirty and he couldn't go back to 'sleep' after opening his eyes.

"Fuck it…"

Throwing the blankets off of him, Bakugou shuffled into the personal bathroom in the room, then shuffled out once he was finished with his business. Finally, going downstairs to get something to eat, his last meal having been whatever crap the hospital called lunch yesterday. And looking around once he was in the common area, the explosive Hero finds everyone in their places. Though Round Face and the Shrimp weren't present, must be holed up in the nerd's room again… And the frog was slowly walking around, sweeping the floor absent mindedly.

It was strange to see Tsuyu even more unenthusiastic than her usual self, but he supposed that everyone had their own way of coping with this tragedy.

"Morning Sleeping Beauty." Sero greeted with the smallest of grins. He just gave a grunt in response as he continued to observe his classmates, all being at varying levels of contemplative anguish with the exception to Mineta… Who was counting out a large amount of money, about six stacks of them.

"The Hell?"

"Apparently he sold the other half of his junk to a guy he knows. Says any one of us could use the money if we need it, an apology gift for all the crap he pulled. To be honest, I still can't believe he's going through with this." Kyouka answered, lazily twirling her jacks as she flipped through the TV channels. She wasn't really focusing on what was on screen, most likely concentrated on her own thoughts. A less than perky Mina sat down with a glass of juice and offered her two cents to the discussion.

"I'm kind of worried though… He might fall back if he gets bored enough…"

"Then I'll pick up some obscure sport. Like… H-Handball?"

"That's not very obscure buddy…"

"I'm a shut-in ex-pervert Kaminari! What'd you expect!?" As the imp and the human stun gun continued their discussion where the latter suggested weird and obscure sports, Yaoyorozu approached Bakugou with a request. And based on how serious she looked, he knew it was going to be a pain to go through.

"Ah, Bakugou-san, good morning. I'm sorry for making a request when you just got up, but I need you to eat something and wash up. We're all heading out today."

"What's the occasion Ponytail?"

"Now that we're together and in higher spirits than yesterday, I want us all to go and get fitted for Midoriya-san's Memorial."

"Can't you just make the damn things?"

"Yaoyorozu doesn't like to destroy the economy." Todoroki's answer was short and concise, remembering her reasoning from their mission to rescue Bakugou way back when. Iida then followed it up with a more sentimental reason, something that everyone agreed to.

"And wouldn't Midoriya-kun appreciate our efforts spent on remembering him? He deserves nothing but the best from us, a tribute to person who always gave it his all."

"It won't be that bad Bakugou-chan, there's a very good tailor in the city who's known for quality and speed. So good that even Best Jeanist recommends him." Stopping mid-sweep, Tsuyu pulled out her phone and showed the explosive Hero the accolades to this tailoring place, Tatsumi Textiles. It's a shop that had just recently expanded from the countryside and based on the comments, it was a place where you could expect excellent work in three days or less. "A handcrafted paradise in an age where giant machines and quirks dominate the manufacturing industry." Said by Best Jeanist after visiting the place on opening day.

"Ugh… Fine… Just make sure this isn't a giant bother for me." Bakugou groaned as he went into the kitchen to scrounge something together. There was a collective hum as they all went back to doing whatever it was they were doing before, varying levels of contemplation with minimum chatter. It was a bizarre scene, like the gaggle of sadness from yesterday evening, nobody was trying to start a conversation and just let whatever ambient noise play around them. Whether it was from the nature outside or the news that was playing on the TV, there as just the bare minimum of life present.

"Better than them being dead…"

And so, after an hour, they all began making their way into the city towards this tailor. The place wasn't too big, three floors with a basement for storage, but it was certainly buzzing with activity. Even more so now that the legendary Hero Class of 1A wants to do business, causing all employees to put them on top priority, dedicating the best to their orders. Which is why Bakugou found himself in a small room being measured by the owner of all people, one Tatsumi Kanji.

"Hey, you look tough, why go into such a frilly business?" Bakugou was bored out of his mind, idle chatter was his only way out. Besides, it was odd that someone with a hardened face and a scar above his left brow to be a tailor. Luckily, or unluckily, the guy decided to humor him as bluntly as possible.

"Same reason an ass like you decided to be a Hero, because I love what I do. Besides, business is doing good, so I don't really care what anyone says anymore."

"So you DID give a shit about what people said."

"Yeah and I really wouldn't have gotten over it if it hadn't been for my Senpai. Arms up." Bakugou raised his arms as Kanji continued taking measurements, with the explosive Hero going further down this conversation.

"Sounds like someone you could count on, unlike half of my idiots..."

"Hey, just because not all of them are cut from the same cloth you are, it doesn't mean they're worthless. Everyone has their place somewhere in this world, doesn't matter who you are or where you came from. That's what my Senpai taught me, he had this crazy way with words that always made you look back on who you are. Makes you a better person… Don't you have someone like that?"

Bakugou's mind immediately flashed to Midoriya and everything he has done up to this point. From start to finish that nerd changed everyone around him, pushing them to overcome their weaknesses and get them moving towards their goals. He frowned as Kanji finished writing the last of the explosive Hero's measurements.

"Yeah… We HAD a guy like that…"

"Shit… I'm sorry for your loss… You're good to go."

Bakugou just left without another word, something was stinging away at the inside of him. He didn't know what it was, but it didn't feel good. Maybe he should stop thinking about that nerd, the feeling seems to crop up whenever he thought about him. Walking past the others, he simply jabbed his thumb before leaving the building altogether. He needed some REAL fresh air… Outside, the weather could be better as an overcast still congested the sky, with only pin holes of blue managing to slip past the clouds.

Looking around, Bakugou sees that he wasn't the only who needed to breathe. Kirishima, Aoyama, and Kouda, were all just chilling about with the first just thinking, the second just deeply staring into a reflective window, and the third chatting with some birds.

"You done too?" Kirishima asked, small smile forming. The explosive Hero just grunted a response and takes a seat next to the red head, scaring some of the birds in the process. Kouda nervously snapped between the scattering flock and his blond-haired classmate, clearly wanting to say something but couldn't. Bakugou sighed, how on Earth did he get through that final battle whilst saying the barest minimum of words is beyond him.

"Look rock head, if you got something to say, just say it. No one's going to laugh at you for saying something stupid, enough of that has already happened."

"Come on man, you're scaring him."

"Look Hair for Brains, if he thinks I'm scarier than the shit we went through, then he needs to get his fucking head checked."

While the nervous giant was a little more than off put by his classmate's words, he slowly began to twitch his mouth open. Only for loud screams to tear through the air as loud footsteps rattled close by, startling the four. Though for Bakugou, he's more annoyed than anything else.

"No rest for the wicked…"

"Come on guys! Let's – Where did they go?" Kirishima hardened his hands and looked towards Aoyama and Kouda, but the two weren't in last place he saw them. Before long he was tugged to face the direction of the chaos by Bakugou, who was noting down four details about the scene. First, there were four thugs that was causing a scene. Second, one of them was already knocked out. Third, another was being harassed by a massive flock of birds and a horde of squirrels. And lastly, Aoyama was shooting his laser at one while Kouda was slugging another. Both of them equally terrified of being so close to the front lines.

"Huh… That's new… We should help them."

"Hold it there Hair for Brains, why the Hell did you hesitate?" Bakugo asked, gripping to the back of crimson Hero's collar. Kirishima was the next most reckless Hero of their group, always jumping out to help. But this time, he asked for help instead of charging straight in. What's got the crimson haired Hero pinned?

"This isn't the time for that!? They need our help!"

"Look again smartass."

To his surprise, both Kouda and Aoyama were already on the last thug, who was trying and failing to run away due to more birds. Lowering his fists, Kirishima gritted his teeth and stared pensively stared the grey concrete of the sidewalk. He was silent, so Bakugou threw out the line to get him to bite.

"You really only hold back when shit goes wrong… Is this about Deku?"

"… After what happened to Midoriya… With the way he gone in alone… I think I became scared of doing the same…"

"You think?" Bakugou's stare was hard but there was a sense of comfort in it, like a stern Father or a respectable Sergeant.

"Okay, I DID, and I can't stand being alone anymore… Reminds me of how everything just fell apart… I know it sounds stupid, especially if it means I can't fight street thugs without any help, but that's how I really feel."

"Yeah, how are things so wrong even when we won? With the way things are, we're lucky to be up and about… But you know Deku would be disappointed as Hell, right?" Bakugou looked back at the crimson colored Hero and he only averted his gaze. Kirishima still had his fists clenched, trembling as the sounds of the brawl nearby died down and was replaced with cheers.

"I know… Midoriya was a great Hero, he never waited and just jumped right in… That's real bravery right there, going in without an ounce of hesitation…"

"But that didn't mean he wasn't scared. When I would kick someone around, Deku looked like he was always ready to piss himself when he jumped in to stop me. It did fuck all to me, but still tried to stand up against shits stronger than himself. Fearlessness isn't the lack of fear, but the ability to overcome it, didn't that Hero you liked say some shit like that?"

Kirisima's expression softened and he stared at his own hands, red marks dotting his palms where his nails were digging in. What was he doing? Didn't he wanted to live without regretting his choices? Looking over, he could see that Aoyama and Kouda were taking in the cheers, nervous but relieved that this sudden incident was swiftly resolved. They were always afraid, ever since the start of the year, but they still moved forward. A terror filled courage… But action without hesitation. The kind of bravery Crimson Riot had, the kind Midoriya always showed in face of danger…

"Yeah, he did… Thanks Bakugou, I feel a little better now."

"So what are you going to do from now on Hair for Brains?"

"Just like how Crimson Riot and Deku did it… I'm not going to hesitate like an idiot anymore. I don't know how long it'll take… But I'm going to keep trying until I man up and be a Hero that'll make Midoriya proud."

"Good answer. Now let's get those idiots back here before the ego gets to their heads."

"Like you?"

"Piss off."

As police and medical services came to clean up the situation, the rest of 1A emerged from inside Tatsumi Textiles and began asking the four many questions. There was the same air of restlessness and panic, but Bakugou could feel the overarching relief that was enveloping the group's shared air space.

"Glad to see you four are okay after such a sudden incident. Seeing how little damage there is, I presume it was dealt with swiftly?" Iida asked.

"You would think our Explodo Meister would level the block, but I'm not seeing a single scorch mark." Kaminari was looking up and down the street looking for the tell-tale signs of Bakugou handiwork, not finding any after a good look. There were a few smaller craters around, but those looked too crude to be the explosive Hero's handiwork.

"That's because I didn't do jack shit this time around. It's those two that dealt with it." Bakugou then gestured to Kouda and Aoyama, who were still a little jittery from their recent encounter. Everyone raised their eyebrows, knowing full well that those two aren't exactly eager to jump head first into danger. Mina was the first to bring this up, even if it sounded a little harsh for her liking.

"Really? No offense guys, but you two aren't the bravest people I know."

"I am aware Mademoiselle… But recent events have changed a part of me…" Aoyama looked serious, his ever-present vain smile turned into a frown as he gazed down at the floor. This wasn't the first time they saw him like this, but it was still a shocking sight to see it. And though it was rather obvious what the cause of it was, Eri still felt the need to confirm everyone's feelings.

"Was it because of Papa Yuuga onii-san?"

"Oui… He was unrefined and so ungraceful… Yet I cannot deny that the way he charges forward is the most dazzling thing in the world. Through the fear and terror, Monsieur Midoriya would stand ready to fight off the worst… Unlike me who would hide away in some dusty corner… And our greatest battle only emphasized that weakness…"

"I-I felt the same… M-Midoriya was always so brave and I would just… S-Stand around… I-I'm so shy that I can't do anything like he could…"

"And now you're willing to fight thugs like a hero and talk to us like a normal person." Bakugou sounded proud and so were the others, since the gentle rock headed giant didn't take the initiative often. Kouda grew defensive and still averted his gaze, but never the less, he spoke what he thought. What he felt.

"Y-Yes… W-With everything that's happened… T-That fight we survived… A-And what you said Bakugou… I-I realized it's about time I got out of my shell… I-I stood with you guys that day, so the little things shouldn't be so scary… T-That I can do it… A-At least that's what I think… A-After all, that's what Midoriya did too… R-Right?"

"Yes, he did my rocky friend. Fear might have been in the monsieur's heart, but with every action, he grew out of it and shined brilliantly. A beautiful metamorphosis that allowed him to spread his wings as the One True Hero… As a result, I have come to terms with myself. I'm a coward who easily loses his luster when threatened…" Aoyama looked towards Kouda and his classmate gave a nod, both on the same wavelength.

"A-And I'm a coward who's afraid of even talking…"

"But for the Deku who held his ground, we'll stop running and start standing." Kirishima smile as the two made that declaration, spirit burning brightly in their eyes. Like Mineta yesterday, this spark of will began revitalizing the others. They all began showing more color in their faces,

"You guys sound really cool right now…" Uraraka, through her faltering lips and drooping eyes, gave a smile to the two as they could only nod in return to the gravity controlling Heroine.

"They really do… Like Papa…" Eri began clinging to her surrogate mother's skirt, a few tears welling up in her red eyes. The two began to comfort each other as Tsuyu lead them away from the rest, who were commending Aoyama and Kouda for their work and inspiring words. Bakugou eyed those girls carefully, making note that he should probably talk to them later… As soon as he figures out what the Hell to say since all their wounds were still so raw. Being closest to the nerd and all…

Not much happened after that, the class finished getting their measurements taken and they all went back to the dorms. There still wasn't much activity going around, but the atmosphere did feel better. Uraraka and Eri went straight back to Midoriya's room and Tsuyu to her own, leaving the others to contemplate on their own terms. And looking at them all, Bakugou could feel something changing within the hearts of Class 1A… Not realizing that something was different about himself as well.

4 days until the Memorial Service…

* * *

 **And that's Chapter 3! But more importantly...**

 **I LIVE!**

 **"Welcome back, it was getting kind of quiet."**

 **If you are swamped by midterms, then you'll be surprised how little time you get to write the things you want. Anyway, I'm tired and would like to quickly get to certain points about this chapter.  
**

 **"Well excuse me then! I wait for you and this is how you treat me!? I'm going home."**

 **Alright, see you next week.**

 **"At least show a little regret..."**

 **You're a figment of my imagination, so no. But I digress... Slowly I'm realizing that, with every chapter I plan, it gets harder to sustain the feels. But I shall persevere and find a way to do it. So it's important to tell me how you guys personally feel each chapter, so I know what to adjust for the next one. Alternatively, I could just roll with it and see what happens.**

 **Next, writing Kirishima in relation to this story was a bit difficult. For those who followed the manga, Kirishima would freeze up during crucial moments when something goes wrong. He would doubt his own abilities before pushing himself to leap in anyway. So based on that, I imagine Kirishima holding himself back because of what happened to Midoriya. If that's iffy then I only have myself and my below average writing skill to blame. But hopefully I'll get better in the future.  
**

 **Anyway, that's all I have this week. Next week (hopefully I finish it by then) we'll experience words of wisdom left behind by our One True Hero.  
**

 **"Yes, wondrous wise words that worm it's way into your witty noggin."**

 **So with that said...**

 **Until Next Time. T1.**


	4. Chapter 4: Midoriya's Wisdom

**I own nothing.** **Warning, may contain Out of Character moments.**

* * *

Today the overcast was weaker, with more of the blue-sky peeking through the grey blanket. It wasn't much, but Bakugou could at least be glad for the little sunlight that'll occasionally come in through the windows. Really brightens things up… Especially when 1A was all silent and in deep thought, with Tsuyu tiredly going around and sweeping the floor again. It was depressing how no one was conversing, what happened to the bonds they all shared? Well there was some exceptions as Mineta, Kirishima, Kouda, and Aoyama were sticking together, but didn't bother anyone else as to not disturb their thoughts.

Then there was the fact that Uraraka and Eri were holed up in his room again… Things are not going to get better if people can't talk about their damn feelings. So, Bakugou decided it was time for an intervention.

"Hey frog chick, go get round face and the shrimp. They can't stay cooped up in Deku's room forever and mope about by themselves. Weren't we all a God damn team? Shouldn't we all be grieving together?"

"Hmmm… Yes, we should… I'll be right back." Tsuyu then set her broom against the wall and proceeded to walk to the stairs. The others of 1A stared at Bakugou for making such a call, which earned them a dirty look from the explosive Hero.

"The Hell you looking at? You know that shit's true."

"We know. But you bringing people together and not tearing them apart is always a strange sight."

Todoroki began making these vague hand gestures to bolster his words. It wasn't very effective at helping his idea, but everyone really didn't need it to understand what he meant. Bakugou and being friendly was a rare sight, a sign that things were starting to get better.

"Fuck you Two Face!"

"I don't know man… You've been more involved with us lately…"

"Get off my back imp shit!"

"Hey, if Mineta could see it then it's really obvious."

Before the explosive Hero could bite back against Kyouka, Tsuyu returned with Uraraka and Eri in tow. They were looking slightly better, not by much but livelier than before, though that wasn't the point of interest. What was were the fourteen notebooks the two were carrying in their arms. One of them looked burned, signaling to the rest on what those books were.

"Ochako-chan, aren't those…?"

"They are, Mina-chan… Deku-kun's Hero notes…"

Both the surrogate Mother and Daughter laid out the fourteen notebooks on the table, everyone gathering around it. From the first book and its crayon scrawled cover, to the last with its orderly penmanship, these were the vessels that held all of Midoriya's observations, ideas, hopes, and dreams. Proof that he never stopped thinking about the kind of person he wanted to be…

A Hero.

"Papa was always writing in these books when he wasn't busy with schoolwork or playing with me… I never really looked inside and Papa always says it's just boring Hero stuff… But now that he's… G-Gone… I want to look through it with everyone…"

It almost broke their hearts how the one horned girl paused before admitting that Midoriya wasn't coming back. Eri had to clutch onto Uraraka's hand before she could finish her thoughts, barely containing her desire to break down. 1A looked sadly at her as she wiped away at the tears that did manage to leak through before their eyes turned to their gravity girl. The area around her eyes looked red and puffy as her body tried its best to look well, but ended up looking rigid.

Uraraka at least sounded better, with her fatigue not being as intense as the one two days prior.

"I don't know if Deku-kun would mind… To be honest, I really don't want to go through something so personal…"

"Uraraka, believe me when I say this, but Midoriya would always be willing to share his notes. I mean, these idiots keep asking him for study material whenever Yaoyorozu or Iida wasn't available." Todoroki then proceeded to point at both Mina and Kaminari, who at first looked offended at the statement and then just accepted it… Seeing that it was completely true. Though what came next was just depressing…

"Not that we could do that anymore… Guess I have to start going at it alone…" Kirishima gently put his firm hand on Mina's shoulder, giving her slow pats as she gazed down at the table of books. They all entered a somber mood, muting out whatever energy they all had just moments ago. This wave of sorrow wasn't as intense, but it still felt over bearing…

Kaminari however, instead of slipping into a wistful state like his friends, he opted to pick up the first of Midoriya's Hero notes instead. Questionable glares went to the human stun gun over this action, but none was as intense as Kyouka's.

"What are you doing Charge-Dolt?"

"Ernest Hemingway said that 'Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another'. So with that, I think Todoroki's right about how Midoriya would want us to read these… In fact, he'd be over the moon and would go into a mumble storm over the Heroes inside… He was a nice guy who wrote down every story and his own in these books... And I feel it would be wrong if we went to honor him without fully learning and understanding who he was… But that's just me, what about you guys?"

It always surprised the class that their friend, dead last in academics, knew a whole lot about American novelists and was surprisingly wise at times. This was only another nail in the long-sealed coffin that, while Kaminari was an idiot, he still has his days to shine. So looking at the books laid upon the table, they each began thinking about the electric Heroes words. Yaoyorozu was the first to speak up again…

"There was a German novelist who once said, 'Without words, without writing and without books there would be no history, there could be no concept of humanity'. Meaning that writing helps Humanity construct a unique identity and without it, we'd be nothing. And our history that would've been lost could now transcend the annals of time and become part of something greater… All because someone was dedicated enough to record it… Kaminari-san is correct, we'd be squandering Midoriya-san's memory by not reading these books. This act will give all the knowledge he accumulated validation and in turn, it'll acknowledge that he existed."

"I whole heartedly agree. He gave it his all for these books and was always ready to offer us his wisdom… So let's not waste the blood, sweat, and tears he put into writing these and read them." Iida said. There was a hum of agreement before all eyes turned to Uraraka for the final input, seeing that she was the closest to Midoriya thanks to Eri. She gave a slow nod before sitting down, breathing out a sigh and mumbling something so inaudible that even Kyouka couldn't hear her. It was tense, but as luck would have it, Kaminari diffused it in the only way he knows how.

Stupidly.

"Hey, I know! Let's go through the first one together! Gather around boys and girls, Grandpa Denki is about to tell you all the secrets of Heroes penned by the greatest man I ever knew! It's chock full of things a growing kid needs to become a super cool, super strong, and super smart Hero!"

"Uncle Denki, if you're Grandpa, is Aunt Kyou Grandma?" Eri's innocent, out of the blue question nearly caused a cackling outburst from the class, though one could still hear the laughter being held back from several throats. But while it didn't completely go through, this was their first good hearted laugh in a long while. Kyouka, despite being redder than Kirishima's hair, just began frantically waving her hand at Kaminari to move on… Whilst making herself as small as she humanly could.

"Alright, alright guys, leave the Missus alone and let's get our feet wet! Here we go, Midoriya's Hero Analysis for the Future, book one!"

From that point on, time didn't exist. As the class bear witness to the many pages that the One True Hero scribbled on, they could feel his voice come to life. The first book created a starry-eyed child who they could feel bounce around as he watched Heroes duke it out with Villains on the TV. The memory even appeared as a phantom in their mind's eye, with 1A noting how adorable the young Hero in Green was.

"All Might is so cool! No one gets hurt when he fights the bad guys cause they can't stop looking at him! When All Might laughs, it always makes them mad before he hits them and wins! Like a man who fights cow! Making baddies very mad means easy win."

While most of these crayon-written notes were extremely crude, as expected for a four-year-old, they contained very interesting points on how Heroes engage Villains in battle. No one was sure which Villain Midoriya was referring to, but what he noted down as a child gave proof that this was how his strategic mind was developed. Drawing attention away from civilians with taunts minimizes casualties while aggravating the opposition into predictability, which was then exploited.

When 1A was his age, their Quirks had already manifested and they began experimenting with it soon after. But since Midoriya was born Quirkless, he didn't have that chance so he turned his mind to something else. Towards Quirk Study and Combat Analysis. And this pattern persisted from cover to cover, most likely continuing in the next book and the one after that. These diligently taken notes, and his undying dream, was all Midoriya had when it came to Heroics. It was heartbreaking…

Though that did absolutely nothing to stop 1A from busting a gut when they saw a tidbit involving All Might on the very last page. Circled in red crayon and pointing to the Hero's abs and chest, a young Midoriya wrote this impossible note in big, bold, black letters…

" **MASCLES BIG MACHO!** "

"He did not write that!" Uraraka nearly choked when Kaminari read that, as did everyone else in the room. Even Bakugou! No matter how stoic or unflinching they may be, the thought of their adorable Cinnamon Roll writing that down is absolutely absurd. Even more so that the boy should be too young to know anything about muscle culture.

"I can't… I just can't… What the heck Midori?" Mina's giggles couldn't subside as Kaminari closed the book and laid it back down on the table. There shouldn't be anything special about this crayon scribbled mess… But with Midoriya's charm rubbed all over it, this reading became a real treat for all of them. Bakugou stared at the notebooks, especially the one he burnt, and thought back… The nerd really was attached to them, the effort he spent on them now evident on the explosive Hero.

"Even when he's gone, Midoriya's still surprising us…" Mineta commented.

"Yeah… It kind of sucks we didn't meet him before UA… We could've had so much fun…" Tooru sighed. The girl tucked in her invisible legs, pressing them against her chest as she rested her head against Ojiro. The tailed boy nodded as Tokoyami grabbed the next book in the series, opening it up to the first page. Reading the notes scribbled in more crayon, another phantom of child Midoriya appeared and they heard his excited voice reading the scribbles.

And this trend continued as they proceeded through each of the books. But one notable difference as they moved towards the last one was the voice of Midoriya, changing from starry eyed child to the hopeful analytic they knew him for. 1A didn't know when, but they all could see all of Midoriya's ghost wandering about the common room. Seeing each one of them pore so much passion and attention into their respective books was heartwarming…

Yet completely bittersweet since they wouldn't hear anymore beyond the fourteenth…

"Using my legs for Full Cowl has been getting trickier than I had thought… Though I managed to get through recent incidents just fine, my movements are still predictable… Not to mention for the fact that I keep failing to get a clean knockout when it mattered the most, leaving me open to a counterattack… Right now, my kicks still lack Iida-kun's raw power since his Quirk gives him dedicated strength in his legs while mine is more spread out… And being in the air hasn't been working out either since my attacks at 11 percent can't generate enough wind pressure to maneuver in mid-air like All Might… Should I stick to the ground?"

This Midoriya was mumbling about the nuances of Full Cowl, an ability he had mastered before the final battle. To hear him talk about issues of the past was certainly nostalgic… It made 1A think back to those moments where he stayed up late into the night, practicing his strikes beneath the soft glow of the moon. Even with sweat drenching every inch of his body, Midoriya training was a strangely beautiful sight as the droplets of his perspiration would glisten like stars whenever One for All activated.

Looking around, Bakugou could see the ghosts of Midoriya all over the common room. The younger ones were jumping about or sitting impatiently in front of the TV while the older ones were scribbling down something or reviewing old notes. And no matter how bad the prayer like mumbling got, the unnerving noise just belonged in this hectic space called home.

"Huh?"

"What is it Kaminari-kun?" Iida briskly walked over to behind the human stun gun and looked at the page he was on. He reeled back the moment he laid eyes on the first few words, causing the others to look on with worry. Bakugou sighed and pushed for the initiative, seeing that the others weren't going to say anything.

"Well spit it out Glasses, what did Sparky find?"

"Midoriya-kun… He left something addressed to us in this book…"

Where one moment everyone was sitting in their places. The next, they were all crowded around Kaminari and began looking at the pages he was on. And sure enough, there was a very long note penned by their deceased comrade. The voice of his ghost began speaking in that kind but slightly shaky tone he's known for.

"Hey guys, if you're reading this then I definitely fell asleep while writing this whole thing down. And don't worry about me feeling betrayed or something that you're going behind my back to read this, I don't mind you guys to reading this. It's just that… I'm not sure why you would. I mean, the notes I have on everyone are pretty extensive, but it's still pretty rough and I don't think I've gotten all of it down…"

Which was a lie since the former Hero in Training had absolutely EVERYTHING on them. From weaknesses to behavioral tics, nothing got by Midoriya in his habit to catalogue data for future reference.

"Still, if you guys are reading this, you must have gone through everything before, right? I'm sorry if all that creeped you out, but I just find everyone so interesting and fun to wa – No wait, that didn't sound right either."

1A could see the phantom of the Midoriya currently speaking covering his flushed face. How on Earth did he fumble his words even when he was alone and writing this was beyond anyone. Still, seeing Midoriya as an awkward teenager served as a nice reminder of the person he was before that fated night two weeks ago.

"Of course that nerd would make a mess of his thoughts even when writing."

"Says you Bakugou, it's endearing." Uraraka answered back.

"Guys, we're trying to read here." Sero replied, gesturing to the notebook. The two gave each other a hard glare before returning to the voice pouring out of the pages.

"Okay, anyway… I just want you guys to understand the point of why I made these books and why I'm so intent on taking more. Every little bit of information I absorb, I could, somehow, apply it again sometime later. All around me I see ways to be a better Hero in each of you and I want to learn how to do it myself. So I practice it using what I know, going at it steadily until I could get the feeling down. And that's really it, I don't really have a secret to my growth or anything. I just took what I'm good at, note taking, and thought about how to apply it to what I'm bad at, which is arguably between fighting and talking with people."

"I don't think that's how it works Midori. People are a big glass box of emotions, it's hard to predict what people do." Though the moment Mina stopped, she tilted her head and the gears began spinning around at the thought. "Could it?"

"Well it would certainly help one keep track of a person's habits and personalities." Iida answered.

"Yep, that's what Midoriya wrote here in this giant crossed out paragraph."

Kaminari pointed out said writing on the page where the green Hero wrote down a detailed explanation as to why note taking could be useful for interacting with people. And based on how it was crossed out and the phantom in the room began mumbling, that entire part was completely unintentional. They shouldn't be saying this because he's gone… But that mumbling's really getting out of hand. Luckily the next passage started up with the boy realizing what went wrong and rerailing himself back on subject.

"Sorry, got off topic. I know it's a weird way of learning, but it works for me. And I'm sure there's some random method that works for you too. Not everyone is dealt a fair hand, but it's how we play our cards that allows us to make the most of what we have. So take everything you know about yourselves and each other, think about the different angles of attack, and start throwing it at the problem. Just don't be afraid to fail, pick yourself up and try again from a new perspective. And whatever it is that's bothering you, I know you'll succeed in taking care of it. I believe in you."

Bakugou saw a warm smile forming on Midoriya's phantom, an illuminating feeling that his classmates reciprocated. The gloom of the days before shrunk back before this good feel aura that surrounded them all. For the first time since that battle, 1A felt… Complete…

"But if you guys still have a few questions, just wake me up and I'll be there in a bit."

And that just soured it, way to go Midoriya. The melancholy returned as they all considered those last words, a painful reminder that caused all their friend's ghosts to disappear. Eri hugged Uraraka, the young girl showing tears as she nuzzled against her surrogate mother. There was a loud sigh from their six-armed giant.

"Well this was to be expected, Midoriya wrote this on a day where nothing was occurring."

"Agreed Shouji, this is simply a casual statement twisted into something more somber because of recent events." Tokoyami replied.

"Man, I don't know what to feel anymore…" Tooru leaned back in her seat, staring straight up at the ceiling for an answer.

"But you know, this just shows how Midori's always ready for anything… Me? I barely know what to do. School, Heroics, I just do whatever comes to my head and roll with it…" Mina was always a free spirit, but even untempered freedom had its downsides and she faced it before. Kaminari put a hand on her shoulder, a show of understanding between kindred heroic spirits who love to cause mischief.

"Carpe Diem, living like tomorrow you're going to die… That's why I could never sit still long enough to study anything… There's so much I could spend my time doing and that became a habit… And an easy excuse…"

"There's nothing wrong with that Kaminari-san. Between modern medicines and medical practices, we tend to forget how fragile life really is. It doesn't matter what walk of life you come from, we all go to the same place in the end." Yaoyorozu somberly nodded to that notion. It was morbid to think of such thoughts, but never the less appropriate during times like these.

"Yeah, but that's why Midoriya spent time living each day doing what he loved and thought about what kind of tomorrow he wanted. And I know he doesn't regret 'wasting time' on something like school work because it brings him closer to future he dreamed about. But could I say the same thing? I don't think I could…"

"Then why don't you do something about it?" All eyes were on Bakugou as he began rereading book number 13, the one that was burnt by his hands. "The nerd couldn't change the fact that he was Quirkless, but that didn't stop him from doing everything he could to try and be something he wasn't. And look where that got him…"

There were several hard glares and frowns aimed towards the explosive Hero. To even implicate such a thing while they were still healing from his sacrifice, the nerve. But before Uraraka, Iida, Todoroki, and a few others were ready to give him one Hell of a verbal lashing, Bakugou said something that would absolve his harsh tone.

"Deku became something more than any of us could accomplish. The One True Hero…"

Pensive silence…

"So? What are you going to do Sparky? Are you going to keep fooling around? Or are you finally going to fix that dim head of yours? Choice is yours."

Kaminari stared longingly at the floor before raising his head to face his peers, a new spark dancing within his gold colored eyes. He gave a soft smile as though their problems didn't matter all of a sudden, another plus to the class' recent rise in spirit. A kind of determination that you can feel…

"You know when they say that it's not about the destination but the journey? Well, you can't have a journey without a destination in mind. I'm not Midoriya, never could be… But I'm going to stop wandering around so aimlessly and start making my way to become a rad Hero. Carpe Diem is great, but I'll use that energy to dream bigger and go further."

The electric Hero then looked towards the notebooks resting on the coffee table in front of them all. All the ghosts of his former classmate reappeared, and he could see that they were all looking in every direction. But for the Midoriya that Kaminari knew personally, he was staring right back at him whilst that warm smile decorated his face. Though someone had to be the moderately wet blanket…

"Wow, I didn't think you could be so cool Chargedolt."

"Why do you got to be like that Jirou? If Mineta could climb out of his trash pit, then I could do something about my stupid ass."

"Language, Eri's still here." Uraraka proceeded to throw a cushion straight into Kaminari's face, who didn't even bother to dodge it. The one horned girl just patted the gravity Hero's arm and she relaxed as another looked up, the class' attention drawn to her. Mina, with dark eyes shining, stood up and stared ahead at the ghosts of Midoriya who looked back.

"I've made up my mind. I'm going to pull a Midoriya and start putting what I know into what I don't. Not sure if it'll really help me or not, but I trust him to know what he's talking about."

"You always strike me more as a people person Ashido, do you think those social skills will help in things like school?" Ojiro asked. There was a slight drop in his tail, a sign that didn't correct itself when Tooru began to slowly play with the fluff on the tip. Mina contemplatively looked at the martial artist and thought about her answer to his question, before speaking once more.

"I remember from somewhere that wisdom is the sum of everything a person experiences. What we learned in school, what we learned from each other… All the good and bad becomes a part of us that we could go back to. So I should have something in this head of mine that could make things work, even if I'm bad at actually applying it. But to the Deku who never gives up, I'll keep going at it until I get right."

"And we'll be here to support you whenever you need us Ashido-san. Just as Midoriya-san was there for us."

"Thanks Yaomomo."

More light came in from the afternoon sun, the clouds parting more and more. Bakugou once more looked at the ghosts of Midoriya, each fading one by one with a smile as they looked on at the blessed mess that were his classmates. The explosive Hero clenched his fist as the last disappeared, leaving them with the evidence of his efforts to be a Hero.

"Hey Bakugou, you okay?"

Mineta's question brought the rest's attention to him, those worried stares that dug into his skin… Bakugou waved them off as he began wandering off. That was until Kirishima stood up and stopped him, grip laxed on the explosive Hero's shoulder. Red eyes met as that silent tension built, no one knew if the fuse was lit inside Bakugou. For he has been very lax lately…

"Practice what you preach man. If something's eating at you, we're here to listen."

"I know Hair for Brains, but it's not that simple."

"None of this is, Bakugou-chan."

He shrugged off Tsuyu's response and Kirishima's hand, going back to wander in his thoughts. 1A left their classmate to himself as they all turned to the notebooks once more. Even if they had already gone through it, another read could yield something different about their lost friend. That and to simply hear his voice one more time before trying to muster the strength to move on.

3 days until the Memorial Service…

* * *

 **And that's Chapter 4! First of all, I'd like to apologize for the lack of an update. While you might think I may have been caught up by real life, I was not. I just got really lazy.  
**

 **"Way to go man."**

 **However, I'm going to do my best to reestablish my writing spirit and get back onto schedule. And create a half decent ending to this tale of grief and remembrance.**

 **"But there's not much grief here."**

 **I know, my feels kind of wavered when writing this part. So instead of too much sadness, I decided to put some humor in knowing these kids probably need it after what they've been through. Also coming up what would be inside Midoriya's Hero Analysis notes is tricky, especially his older ones when the guy can't be any older than four or five years old. As a result, this whole chapter has been a bit more iffy as I try to figure out what feelings go where.  
**

 **"Didn't you write a draft for this or something?"**

 **I did, but it's still hard to put all of your ideas out into practice. Anyhow, I'll leave the quality check up to you, the viewers, and start preparing to make the next chapter a bit more serious. Leave any questions, comments, and concerns in the usual place and I'll do my best to answer them.**

 **"So stay tuned for next week where a robot and ice king do some shit that brings everyone even closer together."**

 **So with that said...**

 **Until Next Time. T1.**


	5. Chapter 5: Midoriya's Spirit

**I own nothing.** **Warning, may contain Out of Character moments.**

* * *

Another day, another step closer to their date with destiny… Everything started as normally as it possibly could, energy levels on the rise since members of 1A had a personal revelation. And no longer was there an oppressive atmosphere surrounding their Dorm, affording its residence some respite from the incident that's still in their minds. But it was only a half an hour past noon that something began to happen…

"Iida-chan, what are you doing?" Putting a hold on her sweeping, Tsuyu saw the class president moving a number of desks and chairs into a space he cleared out earlier. What's more was that these pieces of furniture were exactly like the ones that occupy their classroom back in the main building. Bakugou emerged from the kitchen and scowled at the sight.

"The fuck you doing engine block? The shit's all this?"

Iida soundly ignored the stares and questions of his classmates as he continued to work, moving in more and more desks and chairs into the Dorms. With a shrug, 1A left the speedster to his work seeing that there was usually a method to his madness. But because the common area became a high traffic area with his efforts, those staying on the first floor were forced to relocate to their respective rooms. Even with the weather clearing up, there was just no reason to head outside. So they waited… Until a message on their phones told them otherwise.

"Everyone, if it's not too much trouble, I'd like you all to come down dressed in your school uniforms."

Bakugou stared at the request in the class chatlog as other responses came in, mostly to ask for class president's reason for such a decision. There was no answer from him however, leaving them all to discuss their bewilderment by themselves.

Ashido: Anyone know what's up with the Pres?

Aoyama: Non, monsieur Iida's behavior eludes me.

Sato: Still, should we listen and see what he's up to?

Kouda: I think we should, he sounded serious…

Tokoyami: Agreed.

Ashido: It's just one thing after another huh?

Tokoyami: No rest for the wicked.

Sero: Still better than stewing around all day. See you guys downstairs.

Jirou: Yeah, see you.

There were no further responses from his classmates, leaving the explosive Hero wondering what he should do. On one hand, Bakugou should go knowing that he'll be dragged into it one way or another. On the other… Actually, there was no other option there no matter how hard he envisioned or searched his mind for it. What's the problem? He never had an issue with leaving them to their own devices before…

" _Kacchan… Could you please look after everyone?_ "

A quiet murmur escaped his lips and before he knew it, he began undressing. "God damn it nerd…"

It didn't take more than a few minutes for the familiar dark green slacks, white dress shirt, and grey blazer to find themselves on Bakugou's body. Before leaving his room, the human grenade looked towards the red tie that was still packaged neatly atop his clothes drawer. Not once has he put it on since his admittance into UA… But as he stared at it, he felt compelled to put it on for the same reasons he decided to wear his uniform.

"Just this once…"

He slipped the red strip of cloth around his undershirt collar and made a fine full Windsor knot. And once he buttoned up the jacket, Bakugou looked in the mirror and his lips be pulled into a smirk.

"Take that Deku, I know how to tie a tie!"

Though that declaration rung hollow within his mind… He sighed and left his room. The explosive Hero didn't encounter anyone else as he made his way down, probably meaning that they've already gone down. Whether the rest of 1A put on their uniform or not is up in the air and that would make one awkward encounter if he's the only one who did. But Bakugou doubts he's the only one who would do such a thing. His suspicions have been proven correct but there was another element that threw him off. Those desks that Iida brought in were arranged in a four by five manner with a white board at the front. Not only that, each member of 1A were sitting down in accordance to their seating chart. The only exception for this was Iida, who was standing next to the board with his desk being occupied by Eri. As for Midoriya's desk…

There was a plush bunny dressed in Deku's Hero costume sitting atop its surface. Bakugou looked between the one horned girl and the toy, remembering that it was a gift from the nerd when they all celebrated Eri's birthday. It was a fairly big effort since the girl wasn't sure when she was born and many of her medical records were lost, a cover up made by the gang who held her captive. But that was a while back... Though seeing it now has certainly triggered memories of better times where smiles and laughter ruled this space…

"Bakugou-kun! Please take your seat! We're about to start!"

The explosive Hero just stared at the class president as did everyone else, the question on their minds blindingly obvious. Tokoyami slowly raised his hand as Iida turned to face his crow headed classmate.

"I think we'd all like to know what your intentions are for all of this. Arranging the desks, having us in uniform… What kind of ritual is this?"

"… Very well, I suppose you should all know since I'm using your precious time. But first, Bakugou-kun, please sit down."

The explosive Hero said nothing before slowly weaving through the desks and took his place in the desk in front of the one with the plush bunny. Looking at each one of them, the class president took a deep breath and his face became soft with wistfulness as he stared at the desk of his lost friend.

"Despite the battles we've been through, the trauma we've experienced, a period of calm always followed to bring us back to normalcy. Though these moments were adrenaline inducing in its own way, the Sports Festival was much more relaxed than the USJ attack. We never had to worry about the safety of our lives… Never had to worry about the things that we could lose… Never had to consider how our laughter and smiles could be stolen away… But the reality is that we're always standing on the knife's edge, conflict finding ways to disrupt our peace. And when such troubles find us wanting, we end up buckling to the pressure and become haunted by our weakness. As these last two weeks could attest to…"

There was a nod from each of them, even from Bakugou. Always, there was someone or something that emerged from the shadows to ruin what calm their youths could still offer them. And just recently, they've lost a dear friend… Never again will they see those emerald eyes twinkle with the light of hope… Even if they found themselves moving onwards, the grief had already etched itself onto their hearts.

"Still, no matter the scenario he found himself in, Midoriya-kun refused to surrender to any adversity and ran after that impossible horizon. No matter who pushed him down or refuted his dreams to be a hero, Midoriya-kun would always find his way back to the road we travel and followed. So why not be like him?"

"Are you saying we should sweep Midoriya under the rug like some dust?" Todoroki aimed his dual colored glare right at the class president, its intensity capable of burning and freezing anyone like his Quirk. Iida was undaunted however, simply adjusting his glasses before addressing his classmate.

"Make no mistake Todoroki-kun, if I were to trivialize Midoriya-kun's passing like that, I would cast away the Ingenium name and throw myself off a roof. Like a country after a devastating war, I want us to both commemorate the Heroes who sacrificed themselves to deliver us peace and rebuild so that we could return to the lives we lived before it all went wrong."

"But could we really go back without Midoriya?" Todoroki asked, glare still as intense. But like before, the class president didn't give an inch to such a threat. In this match of willpower and mental fortitude, the powerful son of Endeavor and the inheritor of the Ingenium line were equals.

"No… But we shouldn't squander his efforts and waste our lives in mourning. Midoriya-kun would want us to live to the fullest and become the Heroes that would carry on his will. To be the ones who bring back others from the brink… At least that's what I believe. It's why I went through all this effort, to restore a sense of normalcy after the tragedy that's affected us. So we could feel more at ease moving forward past this point… Does this answer satisfy you, Todoroki-kun?"

Eyes fell back to the scarred Hero in Training, seeing his glare soften as a small smile formed on his face. It was always rare to see Todoroki without a scowl, but it would always mean that he was at ease. And as such, his relaxed expression caused the rest of 1A to brighten.

"Yeah… So is this the Hero you want to become Iida? The man who brings back the routine?" He asked. Before the class president could respond, a laugh invaded the conversation and reminded the two that they weren't the only ones in the conversation.

"That…! That…! THAT SOUNDS SO LAME!"

Mina banged her head on her desk as she could no longer keep upright from her fit of laughter. Only a few joined in on the alien queen's chorus of amusement, but there were smiles on their faces. Bakugou admitted with a smirk, that was the lamest title anyone could ever receive, and Iida would definitely fit it perfectly. Still, despite this moment of joyous tumult, Todoroki remained as serious as ever, though that only added to the humor of the situation.

"What? I think it sounds good."

"Todoroki-kun… You aren't exactly the most creative person here…" Uraraka mumbled, it was still loud enough for everyone to hear. And of all people, Eri followed up on the girl's comment with a tactless response of her own.

"Mama's right Shoto onii-san, remember that ice sculpture you tried to make."

Now that almost caused the explosive Hero to break out into a cackle. There was a point where Todoroki was trying to further improve his ice control by using that half of his Quirk to make sculptures. But while his control was excellent, his artistic ability wasn't, and the results of his efforts was… Strange to say the least.

"It was supposed to be a cat…"

"Anyhow, is everyone satisfied as to why I've gathered you here? If so, I shall explain WHAT we shall be doing this afternoon." Iida said. But before he could continue, Todoroki raised his hand as he recovered from the memory of that icy piece of trash he called art.

"Iida, if I may, I had something planned for us."

They all turned to their dual colored classmate who sat at the back and stared. When it came to Todoroki, he was more of a follower when it came to group activities. And given his track record with leadership, there's a good reason why it's the skill he needs to work on the most. So this declaration was a genuine surprise to all of them. The scarred Hero pulled out a stack of 24x13 inch colored paper, bottles of clear glue, plenty of long bamboo fiber sticks, wire, and a box of pens of various colors. Now the class was even more mystified…

"Todoroki-san? What is all that for?"

"To be honest Yaoyorozu, I'm not sure since this is the first time I'm suggesting anything like this… But I might as well try. I want us to make sky lanterns."

"Sky… Lanterns? Then what are the pens for?" Kyouka asked.

"On the lantern body, I want us to write down what we felt about Midoriya. Not all of us were honest with him… So I now think we should give him that honor."

"Are you sure you want us to do that? Not all of us may have something kind to say…" Shouji's eyes went to the class' human grenade, the others immediately followed the six-armed giant's gaze and found a chill running up their back. Mostly because they found him glaring back… Though the steadiness in his voice was just as unnerving.

"Unlike the rest of you, I've been completely straight with that nerd. I don't have anything to write about him"

"But Uncle, all you do was insult Papa… Can't you write something nice about him just once?"

The explosive Hero turned to the young voice that dared to challenge him. But when his own red eyes, sharp with fury, met Eri's red eyes so full of sorrow, he couldn't bring himself to argue his reasons with her. What was there to argue anyway? That he had nothing good to say about Midoriya? Of course he had something half decent to say, but it was just…

"Look shrimp, what goes on between Deku and me is complicated alright? I can't explain it, but trust me, it's weird."

"Can't you just try though?"

Those damn innocent, sad, puppy dog eyes of hers was going end of him. He frowned, shaking as he clenched his fist to quell the rising frustration at the current situation. The explosive Hero needed to try and refuse the one horned girl's request… Though that ultimately failed and he caved.

"Alright! I'll give it try!"

Eri's eyes brightened a little to Bakugou's declaration, with Uraraka moving around to give the little girl a pat on the head. With that, Todoroki began distributing the materials for the class to get started. Due to the nature of such a project, the class began working in pairs to make the lanterns. It was agreed that there should be twenty lanterns in the end, one from each of them filled with their honest feelings to Midoriya.

For the most part, the pairs worked in relative silence, an unavoidable symptom of having to pour their hearts out onto paper. But as the minutes passed, a voice spoke up and disrupted the quiet that loomed over 1A.

"Todoroki, is there a reason why you wanted to do this? Not that I'm complaining, it's just rare to see you come up with something for us to do."

The dual colored Hero's eyes first went to Mineta before he looked down at the completed body of his lantern. Already could Todoroki feel the others gazing upon him for an answer to the imp's good question. Few came to his defense however, seeing that there was clearly personal reason for doing so.

"W-Well you d-don't have to tell us… W-We understand if it's too p-personal…"

"…No Kouda, everyone deserves to know seeing that you're taking the time to do this… There was a point when I began acting differently, from aloof ally to close friend… Do you remember when it started?"

"Hmm… I believe your change in attitude occurred after the UA Sports Festival. Past that, you were much more approachable." Iida gave a nod to his Vice Class President and began elaborating, drawing 1A's attention to him. It was important for the speedster to be the one to acknowledge this, as it was this change that saved his life against Stain. A truth that came out before their final confrontation with Shigaraki and his League of Villains.

"Yes, after the Sports Festival, you were able to ally yourself with others more readily. The incident with Stain is a testament to that willingness. I wouldn't be here had you and Midoriya-kun not come to my rescue."

"Yeah… That match I had against Midoriya was life changing… You all know how much I hate my old man yes?"

"Of course, you hastily accepted that effigy I made for your birthday." Tokoyami replied with a nod.

"As distasteful as that was, it was oddly satisfying to watch that man burn…" The rest of them stared at Ojiro, who then ducked out and became focused on making his lantern. Kaminari and Tooru just patted the martial artist's back as the attention went back to their scarred classmate.

"Thanks for that by the way, anyway… Growing up, I had nothing but spite for him and I did everything in my power to deny his existence. As a result, I've resolved to only use the half I inherited from my Mother. I would've been satisfied graduating with just that… Yet…"

"You used your fire half against the nerd that day… And only him…" Bakugou said. The explosive Hero could still feel the frustration of the Festival's final battle between him and Todoroki. That moment where he failed to get his scarred classmate to go full power against him was a blow to his ego… Since it made him look weaker than Midoriya who managed to draw it out…

"The lengths Midoriya went through during our battle… The way he tore his body apart… I wondered why he was going so far... But do you know what he said to me? He said he wanted to live up to other's expectations, to be able to smile and respond to them… To be a cool Hero. And it made me remember something I've long forgotten…"

Todoroki looked upon his left hand and closed it into a fist, the words of his Mother coming back to him. It was just the two of them, watching an interview of All Might in secret when Endeavor was away. The former number one Hero explained that, though children inherit Quirks from their parent, children should create their own identity and recognize themselves. That is how All Might could say 'I am here!', to emphasize that there is no one else like him.

The scarred Hero could remember the wonder he felt in his heart as he listened to him… As his Mother told him kind words that ended up buried beneath the trauma and abuse… Todoroki looked up to his classmates, eyes shining with the same light they've seen after the Sports Festival.

"I didn't have to be a prisoner to my blood. That it's okay for me to become who I want to be. And from that point on, I began thinking about where I wanted to go… Who I wanted to be… The kind of Hero I wanted to be…"

"Is that why you asked me if this was the kind Hero I wanted to be?" Iida was gesturing to the desks he spent so long moving in and arranging. Todoroki nodded and began looking towards the empty desk with the plush rabbit sitting atop of it. Going into UA, he wasn't planning to make any lifelong friends as he was too occupied with his grudge… Yet after Midoriya battled him that fateful day, he found himself being drawn in by this blessed mess and became part of its madness. And it would be something that he wouldn't come to regret…

Even if the wound from losing Midoriya still bled…

"Shouto onii-san, did you figure out what kind of Hero you wanted to be?" Todoroki turned to Eri, her own lantern coming together nicely with its white and green body. A small smile spread across his lips as he could answer the one horned girl honestly on this. After much thinking after awakening from the shock of losing a beloved classmate, the dual colored Hero could say this much.

"The kind of Hero I want to be is… Someone who could bring people together to enjoy the little things. Where anyone could laugh and smile around a warm fire surrounded by good food, great company, and no worries… But even if I'm not good at this kind of thing, I'll keep trying until I get someone to smile. Like the Deku who drew in others with his warmth, I'll tame the inferno so that the weary can feel welcomed. Like a flame to a moth…"

Silence.

"That's the wrong idiom, isn't it?"

Bakugou made no attempt to hide his cackling, with it ripping through the common room space. A several others had to hold back their own laughter as the rest could only give an uneasy smile over their classmate's mistake. Todoroki became down cast, his own inspirational declaration cut down by an improper choice of words. He was fifth on the Class' academic chart, shouldn't he have a more appropriate idiom to choose from?

"Don't worry about it man, you still got your point across. In fact, it maybe even better since we all got a good laugh out of it." Sero said smiling.

"You're laughing at him though." Tsuyu, despite looking down, was still as blunt as ever with her words. Todoroki frowned as he looked at each of his classmate's faces, all of them displaying varying stages of laughter. But as he studied them, the more he found a smile of his own spreading across his face. The scarred Hero found himself giving a light-hearted chuckle, a sight that was refreshing as fresh cut grass.

"I guess that is pretty funny."

"Glad you think so Half and Half. Now let's get this thing over with…" Bakugou then resumed to the creation of his lantern, others following suit but with a greater spring in their step than before. The conversations that replaced the silence ranged from somber to hopeful, breathing life into the inhabitants of the 1A dorm. And before long, the twenty lanterns have been completed and were ready to take flight.

"Man, it's dark out here… Where are the stars?" Mina began scanning the sky, noting that there was nothing but plumes of clouds darkened by the cover of night. Despite the amount of light that emanated from the city of Musutafu, one could still see a healthy number of stars if the night time weather was good. But despite the morning being partly cloudy, the evening wasn't so kind as there wasn't a single gap in the blanket that coated the sky.

"And to think we could've finished this day beneath the marvel of a starlit sky… Only to be disappointed." Aoyama sighed.

"I couldn't ask for better weather. Tonight, it'll be our lanterns that'll act as stars for others to gaze upon in wonder." There was visible amount of surprise that Todoroki came up with something so poetic, though he ignored them and began preparations. A few shook off the shock and began helping the dual colored Hero set up for the launch of their evening efforts, arranging the lanterns in a circle and off the ground. Only for Iida to remember something…

"Todoroki-kun, did you tell a figure of authority we'll be flying some sky lanterns? Because doing so without permission is illegal."

The boy with a scar froze and didn't move for the longest while. Yaoyorozu approached and shook her classmate's shoulder, though she could already see the outcome of this conversation.

"Todoroki-san? You got permission to do this… Right?"

"I should've went with the paper cranes…"

A groan at away at the space, gloom taking over the once energetic atmosphere and caused 1A to slump their shoulders. A few even started to shamble back to towards the Dorm, only for Bakugou to stop them with a declaration.

"Fuck it, let's do it."

"Bakugou! Watch your language! Eri's still here!" Even when depressed, the gravity bending Hero was still very protective of her surrogate daughter and would instantly lash out at anything that dared to threaten her. And that included any kind of vulgar language that Eri might pick up. Though the girl's thoughts immediately went to the other thing the explosive Hero said. "Wait… You want to fly them?"

"We've spent all night making them, so we might as well. I'll take the fall if someone asks about all of this, just get to flying."

Though there was an obvious change in Bakugou's demeanor these past few days, it still never stopped bothering them that he was becoming more involved. But what he just said just blindsided them… When had the human grenade developed a self-sacrificing spirit?

"Dude, we could fly these another time. No need for the trouble." Kirishima said, grabbing Bakugou's shoulder. He didn't shake it off like he normally would, but the explosive Hero still gave resistance.

"Listen… It's clear that you losers need some catharsis right now, so I want you to light these things and let go those of problems. Isn't that why you chose to use lanterns Half and Half?"

"That's right… But what about…?"

"Didn't you say you want to bring us together? It's illegal yeah, but did that ever stop Deku from doing what his heart felt was right? He's always charging in to save someone's sorry ass, never thinking about the rules he could break. So, just this one time, let's not worry about any of that and just do what we feel is right. If something goes wrong, I'll deal with it and that'll be that."

There was a pause, to contemplate and weigh the worth of Bakugou's words. Even Iida, their straight laced rule abiding class president, had to think about their next course of action. However, it wasn't long before a voice brought their attention back, with Todoroki taking the stage.

"Midoriya always had a knack of doing what he felt was right… He could've won our fight if he just kept his mouth shut…"

"Yeah… He's always risking something whenever a problem comes up…" Jirou agreed.

"So, just for tonight, we repay the favor. What do you think Iida?" The scarred Hero looked over at his friend for an answer. The class president looked down at the darkened ground, hand on chin, and began weighing their options even more. But as the pleading stares continued to mount, even from Yaoyorozu, Iida sighed and turned so that all of 1A could see his face.

"Very well, we shall fly these lanterns. But promise me that this kind of rule breaking won't become a regular occurrence. We're still training to be Heroes after all."

"We promise." Eri's soft voice made those two simple words have much more impact than normal. With her saying it, the verbal promise became more of a blood oath that must be followed. And the rest were more than willing to listen to such a declaration if it was made by the adopted child of the dorms. Iida smiled and turned to Todoroki, giving his dual colored classmate a nod. Todoroki returned the gesture and walked to the center of the circle of lanterns, a few embers falling from his left hand. And once he was in position, surrounded by the lanterns, the dual colored Hero let the embers become a brilliant flame.

Despite vigorously burning, it looked… Gentle…

"Are you sure you wish to light it this way Todoroki-san? It's fairly dangerous…"

"Have faith Yaoyorozu. In those wicks you made and the flames I've accepted…"

"Says the guy who mostly sticks to reality." Bakugou replied. The scarred Hero ignored his temperamental classmate and went back to concentrating on the fire burning in his hand. And not a moment later, he threw the flames to the ground and exploded out into a ring. It was quick and didn't stay long so that nothing else burned, but the wicks that dangled from the lantern's fuel source were a different story.

Earlier during the making of the lanterns, the Vice Class President was asked to create a wick that could catch alight with even the shortest pass over flame. And due to her chemical knowledge, Yaoyorozu was able to produce what the Doctor ordered. As such, all 20 wicks were lit and not long after did the fuel began burning, causing the lanterns to slowly rise from the ground.

"And they're off…" Sero said. Kyouka sighed as 1A watched their little lanterns ascend higher and higher into the night sky. Those twenty man made stars glowing softly against the infinite darkness that surrounds them, almost as if they're challenging its tyranny. Poetic, yet there was still a feeling of disappointment…

"Kind of sucks that there's only twenty… Imagine if there were hundreds?"

"Maybe other people will do this in the future, we're just the beginning." Tsuyu answered. Several nodded to the sentiment, Shouji being the one to comment on it.

"The signal of a new era…"

"You think Midoriya is watching this?"

"Let's hope not Sparky, he'll think this is just pathetic." Bakugou noticed that small smiles were spreading upon his classmate's faces, though Uraraka's remained unchanged. One of his eyebrows raised itself to the sight, what were they thinking? Iida and Todoroki both reached out towards the lights in the sky and gave the explosive Hero an answer.

"Even so, he'll give us his warmest thanks for the effort. Because that's the kind of Hero he is."

2 days until the Memorial Service…

* * *

 **And that was Chapter 5! After a period of planning and debating with my brother over the content of this chapter, I've finally come back with a vengeance! Although I'm going to be a bit busy in the coming weeks since I've got one Hell of a Final to contend with.  
**

 **"It involves acting and Shakespeare. Truly an artistic experience!"**

 **Yes, Yes, it'll be quite intense. Anyway, I don't have a lot to discuss with you guys beyond hoping that you've had a lovely Thanksgiving (or a similar celebration if you're not from the US). But thank you for your patience during this three week period of silence and I'll get to the next chapter as soon as I can.**

 **"But for now, enjoy the lack of updates!"**

 **Next time, we're going to study the compromised emotions within Amphibians, Astrology, and Alicorns.**

 **"The fuck are you talking about?"**

 **If you don't know than you've just got to wait! So with that said...**

 **Until Next Time. T1.**


	6. Chapter 6: Midoriya's Strength

**I own nothing.** **Warning, may contain Out of Character moments.**

* * *

The first thing 1A had to deal with in the morning was a call from Aizawa concerning the lanterns from last night. Though Bakugou was ready to take the blame, their exhausted teacher already mentioned that he lied about giving them permission to the brass. So with a hundred thanks and a promise to the Pro to never do it again without going through the proper channels first, 1A could breathe easy about their night of illicit activity.

The next thing was the delivery of their custom-tailored suits and dresses from Tatsumi Textiles. And Bakugou did have to admit, when there were claims that these tailors didn't need their customers to come in for a fitting, he had a feeling these guys were going to royally screw up. But now that he tried it on, the thing fit like a glove and made the explosive Hero look sharp as Hell. Any more and his appearance would sheer the mirror in two…

The Explosive Hero frowned, when did he get all narcissistic like Mr. Sparkles? Never mind, not the point. There was no need for him to stay in the suit, so Bakugou took it off and put it away for tomorrow. With nothing left for him in his room, he made his way downstairs to see if there was anything or anyone who could stimulate his senses. And looking around, the first floor was still a mess. What with the twenty desks and chairs that have yet to be cleared out and…

Wait.

"Hey Frog, What are you doing?"

Tsuyu looked up from her sweeping and stared at her volatile classmate, eyes as blank as ever. But even if her face didn't show any signs of weakness, Bakugou could still see signs that the stoic amphibious Hero wasn't as stable as her façade. Especially those big hands of hers, clutching the broom as though it was attached to her. Trembling…

"I'm just cleaning up, Bakugou-chan. Is… There a problem with that?"

Did he have a problem with it? Did anyone else think this was a problem? Was there even a problem to begin with? The explosive Hero just sighed and shook his head, silently blowing past her and went into the kitchen. He had a stomach that needed some good grub and a warm drink to start his day.

…

As the day went by, morning became afternoon as people came in and out of the common room. Iida began moving out the desks he brought in the other night, with Todoroki, Kirishima, and a few others aiding the Class President. Mina and Kaminari were brainstorming plans on how to improve their abilities, Yaoyorozu helping the dull duo in the art of sharpening up. And beyond that, there was just plenty of light hearted conversation going around between the inhabitants of the dorm. Even the weather took a hint, the sky overhead being the clearest in two weeks.

It all made it seem… Normal…

Except for two points. The first was round face and the shrimp's lack of presence throughout the dorm, again. For the week he's been awake, Bakugou has rarely seen Uraraka and Eri interact with anyone in 1A outside of being pulled into a conversation. Even then, they weren't too keen on speaking and only said the bare minimum of words to get others off their backs.

The second was the current issue he was staring at right now… For hours, Bakugou sat in the common room observing Tsuyu's movements and not once did the frog girl stop sweeping. The girl would just sweep and sweep the floor repeatedly, even spots she has gone over before. And every time he saw her face, the amphibious Hero looked dead. Inside and out. The explosive Hero gave a long sigh and stood up, something needed to be done and it needed to be done now.

He just hopes that this wasn't going to end badly. For any of them.

Bakugou got up and made his way towards his classmate, feet moving briskly like an Autumn breeze. He only stopped when he stood in front of Tsuyu, clearing his throat to prepare for what he knows is going to be a shit show. "Hey Frog, we need to talk."

She looked up at him, stared square into his red eyes with those big blank orbs of hers. "I'm sweeping right now Bakugou-chan. The floor's filthy."

Before she could move away to continue what she's been doing for the past few hours, Bakugou grabbed the broom that was still in her hands. "It's clean enough. Just give me the broom and sit down."

The explosive Hero made a move to confiscate the cleaning implement, but neither did the object or the wielder budged. His eyes narrowed at his classmate, still looking at him, and made another attempt to extract the broom from her grip. Once more, he met an unyielding resistance. "Frog, let go."

"No."

He put a little more effort in his pull, but still no movement. Bakugou's brow furrowed as the Hero's fuse has been lit, unbeknownst to him. "Let go."

"No."

"Let go!" The explosive Hero grabbed the broom with his other hand and began pulling at the object with greater force. But Tsuyu was still able to keep it in her hands, though her arms now began shaking in resistance. Her own face entering a state of focus to challenge her aggravated classmate. Now the others began watching with worry, some even starting to approach in ready to restrain their human grenade.

But he wasn't focused on that, it was on this Frog who just wouldn't listen.

"Just let go of the fucking broom God damn it!"

"No!"

It was sudden and unexpected… But as Bakugou was ready to violently push towards Tsuyu to throw her off, the amphibious Hero released one of her hands and formed a fist. There wasn't even a moment to blink, her fist slammed right into his face and knocked him onto his back. For a girl whose strength was in her legs and tongue, she has quite the punch. In fact, the explosive Hero's nose was bleeding… And he was about to explode.

"Was that necessary!?" He got up and took one menacing step before Bakugou found himself being restrained by several people, the first of which was Kirishima. "What the!? Get off of me!"

"Why don't you blow off piss bomb! You got what's coming to you!" Kyouka and the girls were in front of Tsuyu, protecting their now dazed friend who was staring at her own fist. But before he could get examine further, the explosive Hero could feel himself getting dragged off.

"Come on man, let's get that hot head of yours cooled off." Kaminari said. But the moving party immediately came to a halt, unable to budge their classmate as he began resisting with every bit of muscle in his body.

"Hold it! I'm not done yet! Are you so bad at coping that you can't do anything but clean!? Is that it Asui!? Is that all you can do!? Cause it's worth shit! And you know it!" The frog girl didn't answer, but their resident specter was more than happy to take him on. And behind Tooru were several others coming to defend Tsuyu against his argument and harsh words.

"Tsuyu-chan is doing just fine! She wouldn't be able to help us if she wasn't!"

What? Bakugou just stared at his faceless classmate, she was? Before he could speak up again, another spoke, someone from the squad trying to restrain him. Satou.

"Yeah, some of us went to her to talk out our problems. She always let us in and listened to each of us, gave us advice."

"Speaking with her has lifted this weight Midoriya's death has placed on us. Just as those who spoke out before." Tokoyami nodded. Bakugou just scoffed, though he just felt the grips of everyone tighten a little. But he needed to say it.

"She's putting up a front. Asui's hurting like the rest of us and I'm just trying to help."

"Were you really Bakugou-san? Because it looked like you were just antagon–!" Tsuyu put a hand on the Yaoyorozu's shoulder and slowly shook her head. As she stepped forward towards her volatile classmate, the others began parting to let her pass. Even those behind Bakugou released him, finding that his body was finally relaxing and not in the position to jump the girl. Face to face once more, his red eyes met her blank ones…

"Bakugou-chan's right… I'm not as okay as I look…"

Somehow slipping into his personal space, the explosive Hero suddenly found himself being HUGGED by his amphibious classmate. But the thing was… He wasn't focused on that, not when he could feel the girl holding onto him trembling as though she was left out in snow. The others didn't know what to make of this scene… But they didn't have to for Tsuyu began speaking again, voice uneasy.

"When Midoriya-chan charged right in… I wasn't ready for him to be a martyr… For him to sacrifice himself for the rest of us… When I first heard that he wasn't going to come back… I've never felt so lost… But then I remembered what Midoriya-chan told me as he charged forward… In a voice that I'm not sure was there…"

Bakugou could only nod, remembering that weird phenomenon moments before Deku threw that first punch against Shigaraki. So everyone did hear something from him. Mineta brought up the possibility but now Tsuyu was confirming it. But that's another subject for another time,

"He… He thanked me for keeping him focused… For being the friend that kept him grounded… For being the rock in his crazy life… And remembering that, I aimed to keep doing that but for everyone this time… To be your footing… In honor Midoriya-chan's memory… So facing each day after I woke up, I put on a strong face as everyone cried so that, maybe, I could help you stand up again… But…"

The quivering got stronger as her fingers began gripping the fabric of Bakugou's clothes. But the explosive Hero still couldn't find the will to break away, especially since he could hear the tears rolling down her face. 1A's eyes were now on the floor, not wanting to see such a sight that would surely open up their healing wounds.

"But I'm not as strong as I thought I was… There's not a minute that goes by that I don't think about him… About how much I miss him… But I couldn't let myself slip… I couldn't bring everyone else down with me… I couldn't do that… So I had to look strong, be strong, so that you could get back on your feet… Pushing away the hurt until…"

"Until what?"

Bakugou's question was blunt yes, but it was necessary. Until what? Tsuyu buried her face into Bakugou's shirt, staining it with her tears. She began speaking again, audible enough for the others around her to hear.

"I… I don't know… Until I get over it… Until I crack and breakdown… Until I think I had enough and throw myself off a roof… What do I do when everyone has the strength to stand up again? I could never get to an answer… And I'm too afraid to find out… But I can't stop listening to their problems… Helping them… Even if I'll end up alone… Grieving alone…"

"Then you're an idiot for thinking that."

She slowly looked up at him, eyes puffy and red from the falling tears, expecting something. And luckily for her and the rest of the class, he gladly elaborated. The explosive Hero first gently moved her back, there was zero intention to use force in his body and looked around at the classmates he'd grown to know.

"I'm not saying helping them was a waste… But thinking that you're alone in all of this, that's where you're wrong. Look around you, what do you see?"

Her now reddish eyes wandered to the faces of their classmates, all looking at her with worried eyes. But beyond that shade of concern, the amphibious hero could still see the sorrow within them. Despite all that has happened, despite all the revelations that liberated their hearts from such emotions, the sadness was still there. Tsuyu casted her eyes to the ground, knowing just where Bakugou was going with this. So to save him some trouble…

"We're still grieving… Even after… Even after those things we said… Those ideas we had… We just can't forget… Forget Midoriya-chan…"

"Tsuyu, no matter what we say or do, none of us could forget Midoriya. Everything he was to us, all the good and bad we've went through, it just sticks to you. Becomes a part of you that you can't let go." Mineta said. A hum of agreement went around the room, 1A nodding to their impish classmate's sentiments. Such a rare occurrence was then followed by a statement from a wistful Iida, who laid a heavy hand on his classmate's shoulder.

"Since waking up and coming back, I've always knock on Midoriya-kun's door every morning. Even though I knew he wasn't with us anymore… I still try because I still want him to be here with us. And despite what I said yesterday, about the kind of Hero I want to be… I couldn't stop myself from going to Midoriya's room this morning."

Tsuyu looked at her class president and took his hand from her shoulder, feeling the chill of his digits and the subtle shaking from beneath his hands. The amphibious Hero could sense it, how the sensation emanating from his body lined up with her own. She let go and began to wander around the room to each of her classmates, taking their hands into her own. Strange as it was, 1A let Tsuyu do so, seeing that this entire week was filled with unusual actions.

"I'm sorry everyone…"

"Sorry for what Tsuyu-chan?" Mina looked at her fellow Hero in training with concern, what was there to apologize for?

"I've been conceited… Acting as though my problems were greater than yours… When in reality, you're suffering like I am… Still carrying that weight while I've only been thinking about myself…"

"But we've been doing the same haven't we Madame Asui?" Eyes feel upon a contemplative Aoyama, even though he still wore his regular expression through the tense atmosphere. "Haven't we all been just as unfair? Not just to you, but to all of us. We've been pushing our own problems onto each other these past few days, acting like the spotlight is on us. So aren't we just as guilty?"

Silence followed the sparkling Hero's question, a period of brief but deep thought took over. Eyes of different colors were casted onto the floor, reflecting on what has transpired for the past week. And it was only when Tooru spoke that their attention returned. "He's right. All this time, we've been dragging each other into whatever issues we're having. None of us ever stopped to make sure the rest of us is okay. Not like Midoriya..."

"For a person so full of burdens and weaknesses, he always found a way to keep us floating above our own…" Todoroki nodded. Tsuyu's shoulders slumped in response to the dual colored Hero's words, a long sigh escaping her throat.

"And that's all I wanted to be… Someone dependable… Someone who could help… But I just couldn't… I can't be like Midoriya-chan…"

The amphibious Hero collapsed onto the floor, tears falling again as soft sobs surrounded her. The girls of the class stood up and went over to their sorrow filled friend, crouching down to give Tsuyu a comforting hug. Yaoyorozu gently whispering into her ear, much like a mother would to an upset child. "It's okay Asui-san, we'll figure this out, together."

"I… I'm sorry… For not being stronger…"

"It's okay… We'll get there… We'll get there…" Jirou said, rubbing the frog girl's back. And from there, for the longest time, no one moved as Tsuyu continued to silently cry.

A few other members of 1A began to shed some tears as well, releasing some of that sorrow that was still rooted in their hearts. Bakugou looked away from the sight and stared out of a window, noting how warm the twilight sky seemed despite the season. And with the remainder of the light, he noted how a few clouds were left. Once he turned back to the rest of 1A, it seemed that the amphibious Hero had calmed down.

"Thank you everyone… I think I needed that… It felt…"

"Liberating?" Several eyes caused Ojiro to shrink away, possibly due to how matter-of-fact he sounded. Though what came next was truly liberating, Tsuyu giving an earnest smile towards the tailed Hero. "Yes Ojiro-chan, it was liberating."

The girl broke away from her classmates, closed her eyes, and took a deep breathe. "Even though I always speak my mind about others… I almost never talk about myself… Not even when I'm hurting… I think some of you know that…" Tsuyu's eyes then went to Todoroki, Iida, Yaoyorozu, and Kirishima, all of whom nodded back.

"This past few days were no different… Holding it in, trying to be strong… Only to break down… Maybe it's time I should stop doing that, let everyone know what's wrong from the start… Maybe that's what we need right now, a sense of camaraderie… After all, we wouldn't have made it this far without each other. So maybe… Next time, I'll share my sadness. Would that be alright?"

"After all the nonsense we dealt with, I'd be offended if you didn't." Kaminari flashed a bright grin to his classmate as he responded, gold eyes glimmering. And looking around, Tsuyu sees the same light in her classmate's eyes. The amphibious Hero stood back up, this time without her characteristic slouch, and smiled.

"Don't worry Kaminari-chan, I will. It'll be selfish of me to take your time… But we're all selfish people, aren't we?"

"You got that right!" Though Satou chuckled at his comment, Todoroki, with his face completely deadpan, immediately addressed him. "I take offense to that."

A round of laughter filled the air, even Bakugou found himself smirking at the two-toned Hero's comic seriousness. But as the conversations began picking up again, he could feel something wash over him. Slanted red eyes scanned the common area slowly… Reading each of the faces of his fellow Heroes-in-Training…

And whilst the round of joy going around as their closest friend's memorial was just a night away would unsettle anyone… This feeling Bakugou was experiencing was different… It almost felt like…

Something was missing… And it's not just from the lack of Midoriya's presence…

"Where's round face and the shrimp?" And just like that, the thought hit him, where was Uraraka and Eri in this blessed mess? Like a scythe through wheat, the explosive Hero's question cut through the festive sounds and silenced 1A. Then, as seconds of numbing silence ticked by, everyone's face shared the same look of worry and things immediately went to chaos.

All over, Bakugou could see his classmates running, several towards the stairs to check both Uraraka's room and Midoriya's while others were making calls to the gravity defying girl. He couldn't tell who was saying what anymore, the noise of panic washing over each of them. Someone, who it was didn't matter, bumped into him and snapped the explosive Hero out of his trance as his mind began to formulate an answer. Raising his hands, positioning them in a specific way, and activated his quirk.

An ear rattling BOOM rang through the building, causing all those around Bakugou to stop. The explosive Hero swatted at the smoke he generated, which was surprisingly little given the kind of sound he made, and waited for the other's from upstairs to come running down. Which wasn't long as the rest of the 1A came back with Iida up front.

"Bakugou-kun! Was that necessary!?"

"Yes, now listen, this is what we're going to do… We head out to look for them, search their favorite places for any signs. And in case they come back, one of you stays here. Keep your phone ready in case someone finds something."

"Team compositions?" He heard Tokoyami ask. The Hero-in-Training went straight to the point, no hesitation.

"We're a little pressed for time here, so we'll be covering the most ground if we each go by ourselves. And before you say something like 'it's dangerous to go alone' or similar shit, we survived the ass that happened two weeks ago. You can handle it without needing a partner. Besides, crime has been on the low lately, almost no activity because the public finally grew a spine and began doing their own patrols."

"Another miracle brought around because of our Midoriya." Sero commented.

"Exactly. Now hurry up, we're wasting time."

There was only a nod as the class rushed up to change into more appropriate clothes and hustled out the dorm. Satou decided to stay behind, seeing that he was the least useful this situation, and wished the others luck. The seventeen quickly swept through the campus grounds that was still available at the time before moving on into the city. Somewhere along the line, Bakugou didn't know when, Yaoyorozu contacted Aizawa and notified him what was going on. Luckily, he permitted them to leave UA property for the night and will join them shortly with a few Heroes that were available.

It still didn't stop Bakugou from running ever faster, looking for the best friend and adopted daughter of his old friend. Though that last thought made him miss a step.

"Old friend… Was I ever…?"

…

For an hour did he search, but came up with nothing. The Hero-in-Training asked a few evening wanderers and members of the newly formed public watch if they spotted a brown-haired teen with a white-haired girl, only to be met with disappointment and no answers. The others were having no such luck either, despite a few of them using their Quirks to aid in their quest to find the missing mother/daughter duo. Looking at his phone once again, Bakugou read the new texts from the rest of 1A.

Ashido: ANY LUCK GUYS!?

Kaminari: Negatory, zero visuals on target.

Jirou: Damn it Chargedolt! Stop playing around, this is serious!

Kaminari: Well excuse me for trying to lighten the mood.

Iida: Stay on topic everyone! So far on my end, no one has seen hide nor hair of Uraraka-kun and Eri-chan!

Hagakure: I've checked around the cat café, nothing.

Mineta: Aquarium's got no one.

Todoroki: Flower Park just closed, those two aren't here.

Sero: Where are they? You would think that Uraraka and little Eri would go to some of their favorite places if they needed to cool off.

Yaoyorozu: Do you think they've went to somewhere we know nothing about? Like a secret location only known to her and Eri-chan?

Ashido: THEN HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO FIND IT IF WE HAVE NO CLUE WHERE TO START!?

Kirishima: For now, let's just keep running till I find something or someone.

Ignoring the new messages coming in, Bakugou considered his Vice President's words and racking his brain for an answer. A secret place… And it's only known to them… Over the months of taking care of Eri, Uraraka and Midoriya would take her to nice places all over the city. But these places are known to 1A since a few of them would tag along with the makeshift family and have a whale of a time. So without any hints, figuring another possible location that the duo would go to for privacy is close to impossible. It'll be noon by the time they're done and that's accounting the help the class is getting from their teacher and pros!

Calm down… Calm down… Bakugou took a deep breath and began running everything he knows so far. He caught himself starting to mutter creepily, though he just left that on the back burner since there is bigger fish to fry.

"Okay… Think… Round Face and the Shrimp have been missing all day… No one has sighted them… They aren't at their favorite places… And they could be at a place known only to themselves… The only common thing the other places have is that Deku brought them over there… Since the two have been stewing all week in places that remind them of the Nerd, like his room… We think of places he has been to?"

But that wasn't much better than painstakingly combing through the city for them, but it was a start. So does Midoriya have any personal places that he would personally share with people he held close? Bakugou frowned, seeing that he had no clue where the Nerd would go on his own time seeing that they've never went anywhere together since… Forever ago… Looking at his phone once more and ignoring all the new messages in the group chat, the explosive Hero sent out his own text to the rest of his classmates.

Bakugou: Deku sometimes go out on his own, does anyone know where?

Kirishima: Why? Do you think you've got an idea where they are?

Bakugou: I didn't say that, just had a thought.

Shouji: Can't say, we never think it's important enough to ask. Otherwise he would've told us.

Asui: It's true, Midoriya-chan would always tell us if there's a problem going on… Sometimes.

Kaminari: Not helping Tsu-chan.

Jirou: So we're still blind?

Tokoyami: Just about… Lost in a labyrinth of questions and ignorance.

Kaminari: NOT HELPING!

Ashido: NOT HELPING!

Mineta: You know, the more I think about it, I remember seeing some sand the day after Midoriya goes out.

Kouda: Yeah, I remember that too.

Ojiro: And Midoriya would clean it out of obligation.

Satou: There's still some here in the dorm, so there's some truth to that.

Bakugou: Okay, so he goes to a place with a shit ton of sand… Like the beach park?

Tsuyu: Dagobah Municipal? It seems likely… Who's closest?

Bakugou: I am, I'll check it out. Tell the rest of you if I find anything.

Ashido: Mineta, I swear, if what you said was the key to this code, I'm sending you some nudes.

Iida: STOP THIS SCANDALOUS BARTER AT ONCE!

Hagakure: Me too! Screw my dignity, Ochako-chan and Eri-chan are more important!

Iida: HAGAKURE-KUN! CEASE AND DECIST!

Mineta: Relax Class Pres, I don't need something like that anymore. I've come clean and won't go back so easily… At least not until I've proven to be at least half the Hero Midoriya was. Thanks for the offer though Ashido.

Ashido: Oh. Well. That's a relief. Wasn't looking forward to actually doing it.

Sero: I didn't think you would offer yourself like that. Seriously, it's like sacrificing a virgin to appease the dark Gods.

Tokoyami: That's merely a cliché built by Hollywood. Historically, these kinds of rituals weren't so picky as to who was the one being sacrificed. Renowned warriors, servants, even children were used sometimes. It depends on the culture.

Bakugou: Can you assholes quit yammering and get back to searching? I know I am.

The explosive Hero slid his phone back into his pocket, ignoring the next few messages addressed to him, and began running again. Not a single thought ran through his head, instinct driving the soles of his feet to his new destination. He wasn't sure why he was so dead set on finding these two, but he was going to make sure they're coming home. Bakugou stopped to catch his breath and looked around him to catch his bearings. Surprisingly, or unsurprisingly, he stands before the soft sands and calm waves of the scenic Dagobah Municipal Beach Park.

Ever since the mountains of trash was cleaned up last year, this beach has become quite the spot for couples. Rumors has it that a young man alone restored the park not only as an act of goodwill, but to strengthen his own self for future endeavors. And now that Bakugou thought about it, this young man had to be Midoriya since the nerd was so much stronger by the time of UA's entrance exam. But the past is of little concern now, especially if it involves the One True Hero, the explosive Hero needed to scan the area for the missing members of 1A.

It didn't take long for him to catch to figures standing at the end of the pier, one child and another a teenager. Bakugou waited and crept closer before calling it in, no need to get worked up if it turns out to be the wrong person. But as he got closer, the Hero-in-Training began seeing some distinguishing features upon those people. On the child, snow white hair and the tip of their horn from the right side of their head. On the teenager, short brown hair and little pads on the fingertips of her exposed right hand. Both the teenager and child were holding each other's hands tightly, staring out towards the boundless horizon where sea meets sky. Soaking in the melodic rhythm of the tides washing up on the shore…

Bakugou: They're here, going to talk to them.

The Hero-in-Training put away his phone and ignored the next few messages coming in, focusing on his approach towards Uraraka and Eri. But the moment he took another step forward, the gravity controlling heroine disturbed the tranquility with a question.

"Do you think Heaven exists?"

The two turned around to face Bakugou and his eyes widened at the sight of the two girls. Though there wasn't a single scratch on their bodies, both Uraraka and Eri had one foot in the grave. The lack of light in their eyes almost caused the explosive Hero to step away as though their crestfallen state was contagious. But he held his ground and looked at them both with those unyielding crimson orbs of his.

"Who knows." Was his answer. In all honesty, he himself didn't believe in any sort of afterlife. Why waste time over wondering where the dead goes? All of Humanity had the same destination, so that time should be dedicated to making the journey worthwhile. That being said… It's not a good idea to give two girls on the edge of despair a slightly cynical outlook on the world. Thus the open ended nature of his answer.

The look in the girls' eyes didn't get any better though. "I see… Growing up, my Mom and Dad would tell me that the dead goes to a place like Hawaii. Where they could live without worry on warm sands and clear waters. But only the good people could go there. Do… Do you think me and Eri-chan are good enough for that place?" Uraraka asked as she faced the dark Horizon again. The one horned girl by her side did the same, squeezing her surrogate mother's hand much more tightly. But Bakugou was more concerned with that next question that escaped her lips.

"Are you really considering that!? Throwing it all away because Deku is not here anymore!?" His furious spirit was erupting out of his body, causing his presence to become overbearing and threatening. But both girls simply ignored the sudden outburst and continued to stare out towards the sea. The waves drifting ever so calmly…

Uraraka opened her mouth again, voice filled with pauses and hesitation. "I don't know… Since Deku-kun gave up his life against Shigaraki… Each day gets harder and harder to get through… And every time I push myself to live, I start to get lost in the days before it all went wrong… Where we all laughed together… Fought together… Cried together… It was a mess, but I loved being part of it… Reminded me that even though we're training to be Heroes, we're all still just kids being kids… Even taking care of Eri-chan changed none of that… And no matter how hectic it got with the Villain Alliance, we always came back hurt but still whole…"

She turned to face him again, tears streamed from her brown eyes. Bakugou looked away as she continued to pour her strained heart out to him. "But with Deku-kun gone, how do we go back? Back to those days where we talked about classes at lunch? Where we had to fight through another one of Aizawa-sensei's tests? Where we would just hang around on this beach and watch the sunset? Just… Where do we go?"

He wanted to respond back, but his brain held back the first answer that came to mind. He was still on thin ice and one wrong move could send the two girls before him further down into the frozen depths. This was why Bakugou preferred to stay out of other people's problems, too many complications and wrong answers. But he just can't leave anyone of his classmates alone, not after what the nerd told him. He looked back up to see Uraraka still waiting for an answer, doing her hardest to not breakdown any further. Even if trembling shoulders belie that effort.

Still, he had to nudge them forward, there's nowhere to go but up. "Hey, I know this whole thing is just… But you can't give up now and act lost. We've got to get it together and move on from this, live the life Deku gave us."

"Easy for you to say… You never cared about Deku-kun the way we did…" Uraraka's eyes fell to her feet. Bakugou sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, she did have a point about that. Since forever, the explosive Hero hated Midoriya's guts and had always put him down because of it. Nothing will change how he treated him in the past, but recent events have opened his eyes. Specifically, how much influence Midoriya had over everyone as opposed to Bakugou. And as much as he hates to admit it, Deku was now the One True Hero and the inspiration to many.

"Yeah, I hated Deku and could care less about him… But I still owe him for saving us. So help me understand what's wrong, talk it out like everyone else did."

For the longest time, the only gentle waves could be heard around them. But Bakugou could only watch as Uraraka began to slowly shake her head, surely frustrated by whatever burden she carries. "No… Just, no… I can't just expect you to get what's going on with me or–"

"Uncle, what was Papa to you?"

All eyes turned to the girl who was quiet up until now, still staring out towards the ocean shrouded in dark night. The young girl turned to face Bakugou, staring into his red eyes with her own that's so full of turmoil. Uraraka looked at Eri then back at her classmate before sighing and stepping back, letting them take the stage. As for the explosive Hero, he gave her the truth of the matter.

"Deku is someone stupidly complicated, it's not easy to explain. Half the time I think he's just dirt that gets stuck to your shoes, nasty trash that you have to wash out or else it trips you up." The young girl's brows furrowed in displeasure and her glare added to just how much she disagreed with him. Still won't change how he felt about Midoriya though.

"He still somehow confuses me the other half of the time… Somehow, he one ups me each time I'm not looking, and it leaves me wonder just what I'm worth. It… Riles me up just thinking about it… No matter what I say or do, the world just loves helping the Deku the underdog. I hated him, but he was also my greatest rival. Not Todoroki or anyone else, just him."

Eri's expression softened during that last part of Bakugou's answer. Though by soften, it meant returning to that state of longing she was at previously. She opened her mouth and another question barely crawled out. "Do you miss him?"

"It's hard to say Shirmp. Like I said, it's complicated between me and him." Bakugou answered.

"Well… Mama and I do…" The young girl's body was trebling, arms brought close to her body as though she was trying to hug the air. Uraraka walked to her adopted daughter and embraced her, helping shoulder the burden that weighed down on her despite carrying her own troubles.

"Papa… Was my everything… W-Without him… I wouldn't be here… I would be trapped somewhere… Alone… Afraid… Waiting to be opened up over… And over again…" She took a deep breathe but it did little to settle the emotions flaring in her body.

"He gave me the hope to live… The chance to be more than what HE says I am… The chance to have some place in this world… The chance… To be part of a real family… Without Papa… I might as well be dead…" Eri, with tears falling from her red eyes, buried her face into her surrogate mother's body, clinging to her tightly. Uraraka began petting her head ever so tenderly, losing focus on Bakugou and the solemn state he was in. Though that didn't stop him from addressing her.

"Do you feel the same Round Face? Was Deku your lifeline?"

The gravity controlling Heroine only continued to pat Eri's head softly, eyes focusing only on the child. Bakugou walked over to the rails and leaned against it, staring out towards the water himself. There's something about the sea at night that both attracts and frightens the person gazing upon it. It's the lull of the waves and mysteriousness of the darkness that merges the sky and the water. This kind of tranquility leaves one with nothing but their own thoughts, good and bad. And for too long, these two girls have been thinking of nothing but the negatives.

"You're not the only one you know, Frog Girl, Two Face, they all miss him. Everything that's happened in last few days, it happened because we're trying to cope with what we can't get back. It's like you said, those weird days with Deku are over… But the others aren't letting that get to them, they're looking to the future and are working to make things better. Well, as better as 'losing a friend' could get." Bakugou said.

"How… How do they do it? How could everyone carry on knowing Deku-kun isn't here anymore? He was a big part of our class… He helped so many of us… It just feels wrong to move one without him…" Uraraka closed her eyes, letting memories of her classmate fill her mind. From the first day she met him to that fateful night where he left, Midoriya drew her in with both his adorable sheepish personality and his indomitable heroic spirit. Rarely did you find him crumbling to despair, despite shouldering so many burdens since youth… Including the death of his mentor, the Symbol of Peace, All Might…

Actually…

"Bakugou… The day All Might died… When Deku-kun closed himself off… What did you say to him to get him back up? I… We think we could us that right now…" She asked, her hand now carefully resting on Eri's head. The explosive Hero leaned further into the railing and continued to stare off into the sea as he opened his mouth to answer.

"'Death is not the worst that can happen to men'. Plato said that when contemplating on the types of lives Humans led. When I told Deku that, he thought I was being insensitive again… But I was dead serious with that quote. Doubt, regret, cowardice, and a bunch of other stuff like that… It's things like those that kills a person before they actually die, takes away the things that makes us feel complete. All Might wasn't perfect, but he fought and struggled and did his best to become a Hero everyone could be proud of. And when he died, I could tell that he had no remorse… He lived his life the way he wanted and to its fullest… Don't you think Deku was the same?"

She didn't answer…

"For all of his life, he talked about becoming a Hero. Even when he was Quirkless and getting pushed around by people like me, he never gave up his dream. He saved people, beat up Villains, and became something more than any of us could possibly achieve, the image of a true Hero. I know you heard him that night… Did it sound like he was regretting his choice?"

"No…" She whispered, stifling the tears in her eyes.

"Exactly, he lived and died the way he wanted, as a Hero. And it's our job to make sure we live to the fullest, to honor everything he did for us. Because Deku wouldn't want us standing still, he would say run."

"Run… Where?" Eri asked, her head turning slightly towards Bakugou. Turning back around to meet her gaze once more, Bakugou simply just gestured all around him. Towards the sea, the sky, the city, and every grain of sand in between.

"Anywhere."

The young girl slowly broke away from her surrogate mother and stared at the explosive Hero. She began fidgeting with the folds of her coat, feet slowly trying to find a stance that gave her strength. Her lips quivered as it opened, and a meek voice escaped her throat. "D-Do you think… I… Could be a Hero?"

"Sure. But with your Quirk, it's going to be hard."

"I-I don't care about that… I'll keep fighting until I become one… I'll use my fists, a sword, a gun, anything… And become a Hero who could give someone hope… Share the kind touch that Papa shared with me… That's where I want to go…"

Bakugou said nothing and simply walked towards the young girl, raising his hand slowly. Though Eri had time to be accustomed to other people, she still flinched at the gesture and took a small step back. But no harm befell her as he gently patted the top of her head, the first time Bakugou has ever done so. The young girl stared at him with anticipation…

"You're Deku's little girl, so you'll definitely make it there."

The despair that once clouded Eri's eyes had dissipated and was replaced with the same light that dwelled within 1A. A tinge of sorrow surrounded by a fiery determination. A smile tugged at his lips briefly, but the explosive Hero stopped himself. Only half the battle was won and now he needed Round Face to at least step away from the ledge she's on.

"What about you Round Face, is there somewhere you want to go?"

"I… I want to help my parents… Earn enough money so that they could live easy… It's not the greatest reason to become a Hero… Especially compared to Deku-kun… But it's what I've got… It's all I've got…"

"Stop right there. Don't you think you're missing a few things? 'It's all I've got'? Don't sell yourself short, didn't you go the whole nine yards with Deku and the rest of us? All of that experience should have shaped you too."

Uraraka looked towards the concrete and blanked as Eri stared in worry. The gravity defying Heroine's feet shifted often, her right hand carefully going to clutch her other arm. Bakugou could see it, the effort to find the answer… The answer to why she's still here and where a new starting line should go. She looked up at him, then at Eri before turning her sight to the night sky where the stars shined.

"As far as I know… People have always been afraid of the dark… You could spend forever trying to find your way out… Being chased by monsters… From the outside… And from the inside… Since I woke up, I've felt nothing but that… And I'm just so tired of it... Tired of feeling hopeless…"

She turned back to Bakugou, piercing him with her brown eyes that was now forming an answer. The explosive Hero twitched when feeling the intensity of her stare, but refused to break eye contact now that she was willing to offer it. "But after everything that's happened, after I've looked at this sky… I think… I think I know where I want to go." Uraraka said, her voice sounding less defeated.

"Do tell Round Face, which direction you're running in?"

"I'm going to the top… I'll take on Deku-kun's dream and try to be number one."

Now that caught Bakugou off guard, his eyes widening as his mouth had a slight gape to it. Eri's eyes however were shining with the same wonder as the time she became Midoriya's daughter. Shaking off the initial shock, the Hero-in-Training gave his classmate a challenging glare. She knew what that was meant to do, but the momentum of her mind cannot stop here.

"I don't care if I'm not as strong as you or Todoroki-kun, I'll fight to carry the ideals that Deku-kun carried. He was the lights in the sky, brightening the night so that no one would be afraid anymore. Ever since he came into our lives, he has helped us be something more than what we were when we've first met him. He changed people and I want to do the same. Losing him hurts… But I've realized that I'm hurting him back by not respecting his sacrifice. So, from here on out with you, Eri-chan, and the stars as my witnesses, I'll live for Deku-kun and all the memories he left behind."

Uraraka's eyes, even though that same tinge of sadness was there, burned as brightly as the others in 1A. Bakugou felt a smirk pull at the corner of his lips at the sight, Round Face finally found her starting line again. The gravity defying Heroine approached Eri and gave her a hug, gently stroking the back of the young girl's head. The young girl returned the warm embrace as Uraraka started apologizing to her.

"I'm sorry I wasn't any help for the past few days… I let you down…"

"It's okay Mama, I should've said something…"

"HHHHHHEEEEEEYYYYYY!"

Turning to the sound of the shout, Bakugou had to instantly step away as a pink blur nearly knocked into him. And looking back at what the pink blur was, he could see that it was simply a teary Mina hugging both Uraraka and Eri. "Where were you two!? We've been so worried!"

"Sorry Mina-chan, Eri and I… We?"

"Don't give me that, every one of us is here! Look!" Mina cried, her finger pointing towards the beach's boardwalk. The Mother and Child's eyes went wide as they saw the others from 1A running towards them. Even the most stoic of them like Todoroki and Shouji had this incredible look of relief flashing across their faces. Mina lead Uraraka and Eri out and away from the pier as they became surrounded by tight embraces and panicked questions.

"Are you okay Ochako-chan?" Tsuyu asked. A small but honest smile spread across the gravity defying Heroine's face, easing the spirits of the classmates she had worried.

"Yeah, never better."

"What about you Eri-chan? Feeling okay?" Tooru asked, crouching in front of the horned girl. She simply nodded vigorously to the invisible Heroine as the lights in her eyes shined like the stars overhead.

"I feel great!"

Bakugou watched as the concern transform into delight as the young Eri made her declaration in becoming a Hero. There was so much mirth on this night that one wouldn't think that they've lost someone close. As the cheers and laughter grew louder and louder, the explosive Hero's frown deepened as he turned to the ocean's rhythmic tides. As bright as the stars were tonight, the waters were still cold and unforgiving to those stranded upon its waves.

And looking back at 1A, all of whom pulled themselves from the sea and started their own fires again, he couldn't help but feel a chill creep through his limbs. Cold sweat rolling down his neck in a similar manner to how the tide rolls upon the beach. It was washing away the trail left behind and he soon found himself standing still without a horizon.

"I'm the last one… Aren't I?"

1 day until the Memorial Service…

* * *

 **And that has been Chapter 6! Holy S***! This chapter has been an absolute nightmare to write!  
**

 **"Do tell Author man."**

 **I've spend forever trying to consolidate enough feels to write this in a believable manner. My brother and I feel like this chapter is acceptable, but I can't help but feel as though this could be better.  
**

 **"Ah, the curse of all aspiring artists... Self Doubt..."**

 **But as I always say, I'll leave the judgement to you, the readers. What did I do right? What did I do wrong? I need these things to improve as a writer so that we together can enjoy this textual journey. I'm going to figure out how to approach the next chapter, so please be patient.  
**

 **"And I'll make sure he won't take forever."**

 **You're so helpful Eris. Anyway, tune in next week for the GRAND FINALE of " What He Left Behind"! It'll be full of all the emotional goodness that plagued this story.  
**

 **"Aw yeah! Time to get my best silverware out for this buffet!"**

 **So with that said... Until Next Time. T1.  
**


	7. Chapter 7: Midoriya's Kindness

**I own nothing.** **Warning, may contain Out of Character moments.**

* * *

With a final pull at his neck tie, Bakugou finally took a good look at himself and was stunned. It seemed that the idiom 'clothes make the man' really wasn't kidding as the custom fitted suit made the explosive Hero like obsidian. He smirked at his impeccable form, pride welling in his heart that he could look this good. Unlike Deku who would, regardless of what he wore, look completely average.

The explosive Hero's mind paused right then and there, his cocky smirk being pulled down into a scowl. He sighed and turned away from his mirror, not wanting to stare at his ugly mug anymore. After all, nobody likes a prick who makes fun of the dead… Especially if the guy was a Hero that everyone praised. And now that he thought about it, making any sort of insult at Midoriya now would make himself look very petty. But before he could further contemplate the subject, there was a knock at his door and a small voice calling to him.

"Uncle? Are you ready? It's almost time."

"I'm almost done, head down first Shrimp." Bakugou said.

"Okay." She answered as her footsteps softly walked away from the door. The explosive Hero sighed and grabbed a towel that was lying around, wiping away the last of his sweat and nervousness. He grabbed some folded paper from atop his desk and with that, Bakugou left the security of his room and walked downstairs so that he and 1A can face their destiny.

Scanning his eyes across the common room, the explosive Hero took note of how light the atmosphere seemed despite the sharp yet dreary appearances of his classmates. And despite how shaky some conversations were, you can feel how honest their laughter was and how genuine their actions were. Eri was making those childish drawings. Kyouka was playing a few notes on her guitar. Todoroki was folding a few paper cranes. And Kaminari was… Going around whilst carrying a plate of hot dogs… That the others are graciously taking to eat.

Bakugou could only stare in confusion as Kirishima approached him, calmly smiling at his temperamental friend. "Hey man, looking good. So you ready for the doom and gloom of Midoriya's memorial?"

"First of all… What the fuck?" He whispered, knowing that Uraraka would skin him alive if Eri managed to hear him swear. Bakugou then waved his hands at Kaminari, who still had plenty of hot dogs to pass around. The crimson Hero looked over and gave a small chuckle, "Oh that? Kaminari made some so we won't feel hungry during the service. And these are the premium ones that we bought forever ago."

"Uh huh… Right… Anyway, is everyone ready? I want to get this over with."

"We're waiting on Aizawa-sensei, he's coming to retrieve us. So in the meanwhile, have a seat Bakugou-kun and here's a hot dog." Iida replied as he walked over. Before the explosive Hero knew it, he had an oblong meat product in one hand and his bottom was sitting in one of the couches. To gain his bearings from the sudden change in surroundings, the explosive Hero observed just what everyone was doing once again.

To his far left was Yaoyorozu, who looked like she was catching up on some reading. To his immediate left was Mina, who was drawing some diagram on the coffee table that involved something about pH properties. To his far right was Ojiro and Hagakure, who were whispering to one another about something. And to his immediate right was Mineta, who was intently watching a special news broadcast on the TV.

Yep, everyone around here was too lax given what today was…

Or maybe, he himself was too tense…

"Hey guys, check this out." Mineta said as he beckoned everyone to the TV. As 1A gathered around to watch, the imp turned up the volume on what was being shown. And one could feel the tension and awe grow as they read the headline of the broadcast.

"A Nation's Prayers, Japan's Commemoration to the One True Hero… This is…" Tokoyami couldn't even finish that line as he and his classmates witnessed something extraordinary. On screen, at every city, at every shrine, there were thousands upon thousands of people offering their prayers before a photo of Midoriya. Bakugou swore that his jaw punched straight through the floor, he hadn't expected this many people, let alone the whole country, to mourn Deku's passing. Then again, he hasn't expected much out of him for so many years.

Turning his focus back onto the TV, a reporter began her commentary on the incredible mass before her. "This is an absolutely incredible sight to see. Everyone from children, to adults, to seniors are here to give their appreciation and best wishes to Midoriya 'Deku' Izuku. You can just feel the cathartic energies coming from these individuals as they come to the shrine. Even I'm starting to get a bit emotional… And I barely even know him… Such was the impact of the One True Hero and his deeds. But now let's hear some thoughts from the locals gathered here today. Excuse me young man?"

The Reporter made her way towards someone with lengthy ash colored hair. Bakugou's eyes widened as he recognized the narrow face of one of his old classmates from middle school. Looking back, he should've at least bothered to remember their names since they've sided with him. But no, he had to be King Asshole atop his mountain throne of Fuck Off. Man, what the Hell kind of person was he before UA?

But that doesn't matter right now, this guy was going to talk. And from the look in his eyes, the guy looked like he had get the weight of the regret off his shoulders.

"Could you tell me what you think of today?" The Reporter asked.

"I'm surprised… I didn't think I'd ever see the day Midoriya would be praised like this… He… He wasn't exactly the most popular kid around…"

"Were you one of his old friends?"

"No… I–I helped bully him…" The explosive Hero could see the guy's soul dying as he admitted that, just as his own felt more constricted. 1A briefly looked at him before turning back to the TV, The Reporter moving on with the questions.

"Is that why you're here? To offer your apologies?"

"Yeah… It's just something I NEED to say after all the things we've put him through… I don't care if I'm not forgiven, I'm long past that, but I just… I just want to let him know how sorry I am… He deserved a whole lot more than what we gave him…" He then wiped at his tired eyes, tears clearly starting to form and his voice started to become strained.

"I'm so sorry…"

The TV turned off just as the guy finally broke down, all eyes going for the person holding the remote… "Bakugou? You alright?" Kirishima asked. The explosive Hero didn't answer, simply putting the remote back down onto the coffee table with a perfectly blank expression. There wasn't a single indication as to show what he was thinking, leaving his classmates to grasp at guesses. Though that still didn't stop the few who were brave enough to voice their concerns, not caring how the Hero would snap at them.

If he would, given how he didn't act like himself for the last few day…

"Bakugou-chan, do you want to talk about it?" Tsuyu asked. The explosive Hero didn't answer, it looked like he didn't even register the frog girl's words. He just sat there, eyes cast off to worlds unknown, searching for something to fend off the darkness. And it was only now that the class realized where Bakugou's mind is, the same cold place that imprisoned their minds for the days before today. But before anyone could utter a word of encouragement, their scraggly homeroom teacher broke the silence.

"Alright kids, it's time."

"Wait Aizawa-sensei! Bakugou-kun isn't feeling well!" Iida said loudly, raising his hand like that of an uppercut. The Pro Hero looked at the class president before turning his eyes to the student in question. And after a moment of silence and scrutiny, the teacher turned around and began walking towards the door, speaking along the way.

"Alright. If anyone doesn't want to go, you don't have to go. No one's forcing you to–"

"I'm going." Bakugou said as he stood up. All attention went back to the explosive Hero where their gaze met his. Whilst the despairing depths of his heart could be seen, the glimmer of his surging strength could still be found raging against the oppressive feeling. Though some weren't so convinced…

"Are you sure Uncle? You don't look… Okay…" Eri asked, her voice was shaking slightly. Bakugou looked down at the young girl and gently patted her head, answering her with a tone of half-filled certainty.

"Even so, I need to be there… Or I'm never going to be at peace with myself…"

More than a few eyebrows were raised at his statement, was he going to be selfish to the end? Regardless of his classmates' reaction, Bakugou began walking towards the front door with a steady but heavy stride. Without anything left to say, the others began to follow him and began readying themselves for the final trial that'll shape their lives. With their shoes on, they've opened the door and stepped beyond it… There was no turning back now.

For a day in very late Winter, the weather was incredibly merciful on the emotional people of Musutafu. The skies were completely devoid of clouds, the air was warm, and the luminous sun somehow bringing life to the city despite the lack of blossoming greenery. It was mysterious yes, but it was a welcoming feeling… Since sorrow tends to make the world a little colder.

1A didn't have to walk far to location of the service, it was just in front of Heights Alliance. Specifically, the path to the dorm buildings which was widened to accommodate a special project being built. Given the day and how the memorial is being held at that specific spot, it was fairly obvious as to what it was but everyone decided to play ignorant. It was the little things they needed now…

Still, the class' focus wasn't on that, but rather on the people who were there. On one end, they could see the other classes of UA, sitting down and mingling in semi-hushed voices and careful gestures. On the other side, there was the teachers, more than several Pro Heroes, the parents of the Hero Classes, and most importantly, Midoriya's Mother and, surprisingly, Father. And in all honesty, this was more than what the newspaper said about how 'only friends and family could attend'.

"Huh… Looks like the principal isn't ready yet… Looks like you all have a little time, feel free to talk to the people around here. Don't go wandering off." Aizawa said. The Class only nodded before dispersing on their own, either approaching or being approached by others. Once again, Bakugou was alone in the crowd… The explosive Hero casted his eyes around for anyone to speak to and saw a very short elderly man who was also on his own. With nothing better to do, he walked over to see if he could strike up a conversation.

"Hey."

"Not even a good morning? You really must work on those manners boy. Though I will admit, your personality is much better than the last time I saw you."

Bakugou's eyes narrowed at the old man's face, something familiar scratching at the back of his brain about him. But alas… "Have we met before?"

The elder sighed and pulled something out of his pocket and put it on his face, a domino mask. Only now did the explosive Hero recognize him, he was All Might's teacher and Deku's temporary mentor, the mysterious retired Pro Hero Gran Torino. They've met before during the mission briefing before All Might's tragic death…

Bakugou's eyes was the casted towards the ground and mused over that moment in his life. It felt like yesterday that All Might was still there teaching them on how to be Heroes… And yet, that time also felt like that was a long time ago, with each moment after that point shaving off their ever-decreasing youth and innocence. And now, after Midoriya's sacrifice, those feelings just deepened, and he certainly didn't feel like a high schooler anymore. How the rest of 1A overcame such hardships these past few days was beyond him.

"I see you're pondering on matters beyond your age. Let me tell you, save it when you're as old as me. You're still too young to focus on all your regrets in life."

The explosive Hero looked back at Gran Torino, who was looking straight back at him. Looking closely at the old Hero's wrinkled face and ancient eyes, he could see the storm dwelling within his stout body. Bakugou opened his mouth but couldn't find the words or a reason to even comment. Should he comment on matters that don't concern him? Even if he had already involved himself in everyone else's problems?

"Just sit down and say it boy! Just seeing you thinking so hard is giving me a headache!"

The explosive Hero looked around, seeing a few people staring at the duo, feeling their curiosity and judgement. As a result, he sat down next to the elderly Hero and waited before the attention on them faded. "Alright… I want to know how you're so calm about all this? Wasn't Deku your student?"

A frown appeared on Gran Torino's face, though it was more out of a sad longing rather than disappointment. Bakugou bit his tongue and held back his breath, did he already step on a landmine? The elder simply gave a tired chuckle, leaving the Hero-in-Training more than a little confused. "That's funny… Listen boy, living to my age has its ups and downs. I may have wisdom built from many experiences, but that comes with the price of outliving my friends and partners. No matter how I look or act, that burden constantly weighs down on me. And right now, I'm torn up as I lose another friend."

"I see… But you still seem so– "

"Because I know that weeping isn't going to bring that kid back, no matter how badly I want it to. I'm hurting, but I've accepted it… The events that led to this… The choices Midoriya has made… And the mistakes I've committed by him… All of this is a cross I have to bear and carry with me to the grave."

Gran Torino's grip on his cane tightened, the frown on his face becoming more pronounced. Bakugou himself mirrored that expression as the old Hero's words echoed through his head. Everything that he and Deku has been through, all the pain and loneliness he inflicted on him, returned to his conscious mind. But those memories held no glory like it once did and instead, the memories held a terrible reflection of the pride and wrath that plagued his every action and moment of being. Was he to live with that for the rest of his life?

"Old man, can I ask you something? What do you think your biggest mistake was?" Bakugou asked, finally breaking out of his thoughts. Gran Torino turned his gaze to the clear skies and watched a rare cloud lazily roll by. He let out a contemplative hum as equally thoughtful words came out of his ancient throat.

"I can't really say, I recall too many situations in which the outcome could've been better. That's the trouble with being old, you have too much of the 'past' to sort through and not enough of the 'future' to look forward to. But let me tell you something that I'm sure of boy. No matter what kind of choices I made, I'm satisfied with the 'present' we're at right now. We may have lost a great deal, Midoriya included, but the battle with All for One is finally over and we can finally be at ease knowing his empire will crumble. Either from the wave of Heroes inspired by our One True Hero or from the power vacuum the Villains would attempt to fill."

The explosive Hero frowned but also thought over the words and the feelings of the older man. As someone who lived long enough to see three wielders of One for All die, Gran Torino must have grown tired of all the negativity and grief that came with it. So to fend it off, he brewed his own cynical brand of optimism and held fast to it. But was that the thing HE himself needed? Because that answer didn't feel right to him… To just accept things the way they are…

"That's the way I see things at least, some people may be different. So why not go around and talk with a few others, get a sense of how they personally feel about what happened." Gran Torino said.

Bakugou then turned to look behind him, seeing the numerous individuals that crowded this space. He must have paled because the elder with him began chuckling, no doubt amused his startled expression. The explosive Hero quickly wiped whatever look was on his face and got up to look for some poor shmuck to speak to. Though Gran Torino got a few more words out to him before he fully left the old man to his own devices.

"And I do hope you find your answer as well."

The explosive Hero stopped briefly and looked back, the old Hero giving the boy a small grin and salute. He gave a small wave back before continuing his search for the next poor shmuck. And it wasn't long before he found someone, though he wasn't looking forward to the rush of emotion they'll no doubt display. Bakugou made his approach to the two individuals who no doubt took Deku's sacrifice the hardest…

"Mrs. Midoriya, Mr. Midoriya."

The short chubby woman and tall slender man turned and faced him, their eyes stained with exhaustion and tears. As he studied the two adults' faces, Bakugou could see the pieces that made up Deku's, the green eyes and hair of the Mother and the freckles and curly hair of the Father. Speaking of, he made a greater effort to examining Deku's Father since this was the first time he'd ever seen him. Though the man didn't looked exactly pleased to meet him and the explosive Hero could guess the reason for that...

"Oh, hello Katsuki, are you doing well?" Inko greeted, showing a smile as forced as her tone.

"I could be better… How about you?" Bakugou replied, turning to the woman. His thoughts ended there as instinct began kicking him for automatically blurting out something inappropriate. Of course she's not going to fine! What were you thinking! Despite this, Inko's smile grew a shade more genuine as though she appreciated the teen's blunder.

"Much better today than two and a half weeks ago, Hisashi's been here for me…" She said, holding the hand of her husband. The explosive Hero turned back to the taller man and meet his stern glare, his breath emitting a haze of heat. He took a deep breath and hardened up, he was going to be ready for whatever flame the guy's going to throw at him.

"Sir."

"I've heard quite a lot about you, Bakugou Katsuki… Not a lot of it being favorable…" Hisashi said, heat still emanating from his breath. Inko's thumb stroked at her husband's hand, trying to calm his flaring temper, but it did little to quell the contempt that laced his voice. "You kicked my son around because of his weakness… Insulted his dreams because he was Quirkless… Turned the world against him with that absurd strength of yours… And you still dare stand here like you're his friend? Like you care!?"

Fire finally escaped Hisashi's breath, the blaze punctuated each grievance as the embers brushed past Bakugou. He didn't flinch to the man's attempt at intimidation, but a nervous sweat rolled down his neck as the heat licked his face. Even though the man only had a minor fire breathing Quirk, the flames he made felt hotter than Todoroki's, no mean feat by any measure… Just how angry was he?

…

Though with the way the man rebuked him, Bakugou felt his temper flare in a manner forgotten over the past few days. And with the way he was now, the sound of his own anger was both refreshing and alien to his tongue. "This coming from the man who was never around for him! Maybe if you were actually around to teach him something then we wouldn't be having this problem!"

"And you think I don't know that?" Bakugou, despite Hisashi being weaker than any of the Villains he has faced, found himself suppressing a shiver at the chilled words of flame breathing Father. The Midoriya patriarch's look of remorse and rage was more than anything the explosive Hero could muster. Between Inko and Hisashi, he could now see where Deku got his ability to exert his will. But as Bakugou gazed at the man in front of him, he noticed that most of the anger was not aimed at him… But at Hisashi himself.

"I've failed him as a Father… So concerned with providing for my family that I never noticed the things that were trying to hurt them… It's my greatest mistake… To be away when Izuku and Inko needed me the most… So that's why things will be different from here on out. I'll protect the memory of my son from those who mock his sacrifice… From people like you…"

His eyes were now casted themselves to the ground, his breath going cold as he silently wallowed in the world around him. Bakugou could see than the hand that held his wife's hand tightened, trembling as though he was standing amidst a blizzard. Inko still was trying to comfort her husband through the gentle strokes of her thumb, but she turned still was able to respond to the words Hisashi said.

"Please forgive him Katsuki, he's frustrated that he never did anything right by Izuku before his sacrifice…"

"It's… Fine. Certainly woke me up…" Bakugou replied, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

"Though in all honesty, Hisashi wasn't entirely wrong… For all the loyalty Izuku showed you, all you've ever done is hurt him. Despite the burns and bruises, he always kept on insisting that it wasn't you that caused them. And it pains me you know, to have my little boy tell such an obvious lie like he couldn't trust me to help. It makes me wonder if I've did nothing but fail him since that day…"

Her eyes were casted to the ground as well, the small smile she mustered faltering as it was replaced with tears. The short woman quickly wiped at it as she began to pull a fake calm over the eyes that were falling into to despair. Bakugou's clenched his jaw but felt the dregs of his conscious poke at his battered ego to say something. Then he remembered something…

"Deku told me something before rushing off..." Inko raised her head as did Hisashi, their eyes desperately searching for hope. "He wanted to thank you for everything you've done. And that's every part of him saying that. The Hero, the Quirkless, the Fanboy, the Son… They were all glad you were there." He said, voice without hesitation or malice. The explosive Hero was honest, never more so than in his entire life, and retold those words Deku had passed on to him. And based on Inko's watery eyes and weak knees, it struck her right in the heart.

"Oh Izuku…"

The woman buried her face into her husband's chest and began sobbing, Hishashi wrapping his arms around his wife. The man the looked at Bakugou, his expression halfway between suspicion and relief. "Did he really say that? Or was that something you came up with?"

Bakugou turned to walk away, noticing that more and more people began to look at them. Even so, he turned his head to look back at the Mother and Father and gave them his answer to that question. After all, through all the pain they've suffered, they deserve something reassuring in these trying times. "As if I could come up with something so sugary."

The explosive Hero then hurried off into the trees that surrounded the pathway to the dormitories, breaking the stares that he was getting. He never bothered to look where he was going, but the moment he did, Bakugo found himself far into the woods… He took a moment to ponder that thought. Did the dorms ever have this many trees surrounding it? But that train of thought also stopped when he spotted two children, a girl with white hair and a boy with a horned cap over his face, sitting beneath a tree.

"What are doing all the way out here Shrimp?"

"Oh, hello Uncle. Well… Kouta wasn't feeling okay and wanted to get away for a bit…" Eri answered. The boy shifted slightly away from Eri, who looked worried that she said something wrong, and began muttering something under his breath. Bakugou frowned, walked towards the capped boy, and crouched in front of him. Kouta looked up briefly before hiding his face again, though the explosive Hero already saw the red around the boy's eyes.

"Hey, don't give her the cold shoulder, she was just trying to help."

"Like you're the one to talk…" Kouta replied in a low tone. Bakugou opened his mouth to give a retort but found any argument formulated just die in his throat. He was forced to drop it and just looked at Eri for an answer. She fidgeted around as she stood up, brushing the grass and dirt from the black dress she wore. The girl tapped her fingers together the same way Uraraka would when she would need to release her Quirk. She made a quick glance at Kouta and the boy met her gaze, giving a slight nod even though his frown never left his face. "Go ahead and tell him, it's not like he'll listen…"

"But Uncle's been different lately, so he might." Eri said, doing her best to sound convincing. The boy just turned away with a laugh and would've gotten a rise out of Bakugou had the Hero not encountered the completely faithless Hisashi.

"Sure he would…"

Eri continued to fidget with her fingers as she looked between her surrogate Uncle and the boy, clearly trying to get him to personally talk about his feelings. The explosive Hero gave thought about how to approach this, still shaky on how to deal with uncooperative children. Thinking back, Deku had a connection with this kid despite their lack luster first impressions and built a bond with him the same way he did with Eri. So he should be just as broken over this…

"You're not the only one you know, there's a whole country around us that's crying over him. So stop thinking that you're somehow special and just let it out, it's sure better than holding it in…" Bakugou said. Kouta just looked at him, his glare was hard as he met the naturally sharp gaze of the explosive Hero. There was something about that look that he didn't like, not knowing what thoughts were running behind those tired eyes.

"You should listen to your own advice then, you look like you want to explode."

Bakugou swore he flinched when this kid not even half his age pointed out his own growing anxieties. His red eyes went to Eri and the young girl looked back with concern, her stare also holding evidence that she knew of his strife. Then he supposed the others have figured it out as well, but didn't try to forcibly dig at it out of courtesy… Or fear he might lash out. But would he?

No, he actually did, just moments ago at Deku's Father. So he supposed that he was in desperate need of catharsis from all of this. "Yeah… I guess I do have a problem…"

"And I should trust this guy?" Kouta asked as he looked at Eri. The horned girl turned away, tight lipped, as she tightly clutched her dress with both hands. The boy sighed, leaning his head against the trunk of the tree he was sitting against. "You know… Sometimes I wonder if I had anything to do with it…"

"Do with what?" Bakugou stared at the capped boy, eyebrow raised over the peculiarity of his words. Eri too looked back at Kouta, head tilted slightly and seemingly anticipating the moment of his answer. Kouta didn't look at either of them, instead casting his eyes towards the sky decorated with the budding branches of nearby trees.

"Midoriya really messed up his arm saving me… I heard he'll lose it with a few more punches… So maybe if he didn't–"

Kouta's body was suddenly lifted up and was face to face with the explosive Hero's sharp eyes that seemed to burn itself into his brain. The boy froze as he stared back into the inferno dwelling within Bakugou, not even having the courage to even tremble. "Don't you dare finish that." Bakugou said, though with his rough voice, it sounded more like the snarl of a wolf. Then, contrary to his tone, put the capped boy down gently and held him in place so that he wouldn't collapse. Eri stared between the two, her own terror present by the trembling that rattled her small frame.

"You're not the one to decide if being saved was a mistake, that lies with Deku. And if I know that nerd, he'll choose to save you every time. And that includes you Eri."

The horned girl nodded with a small smile when Bakugou turned to her. The explosive Hero released Kouta from his grip and allowed him to stand firm upon his two feet. But he then examined the capped boy for any reaction as he still didn't seem quite sure about himself. His eyes first went to Bakugou's, then his hands, and then back to Bakugou's. Kouta's mouth quivered as it opened to speak and Bakugou had to prepare himself in case the kid was going to tear up. Though lucky for him, Kouta held back the tears… For now.

"So, I didn't have anything to with…?"

"Unless you were there on that day and distracted him or something, then no, it's not your fault. Don't know why you thought it would be in the first place."

The boy, though his posture straightened slightly, didn't look completely convinced and had casted his eyes to the ground. Eri stepped closer to him and tugged at his sleeve, catching his attention again. "If it makes you feel any better, I sometimes thought Papa dying was my fault too… That maybe, if I just learned to use my Quirk, things would be different." She said, her voice a tad quieter than normal. Kouta nodded slowly before a small, somewhat dispirited smile appeared on Eri's face, causing the boy to tilt his head a little.

"But no matter how much I cry or regret, I can't change what's done. Besides, Papa wouldn't want me to worry about it, he would tell me to just do my best next time. And that's what I plan to do."

Kouta looked back onto the ground, clearly mulling over the words the girl just told him. And soon enough, the capped boy had a smile he was struggling to fight down. "Yeah, I guess he wouldn't. I can even hear that idiot lecturing me right now."

And then the two children gave a small laugh, one that had no weight and felt liberating to hear. Bakugou had to suppress the urge to grin at the sight of these two bonding over something. Though that feeling quickly soured when he remembered that his own problems went unsolved. Still, he supposed waiting around here did nothing to his progress to rectify that. So it is with a sigh, he caught the attention of Kouta and Eri before starting to walk away. "If you two are done, we have a memorial to get to." Bakugou said, looking behind him.

With a nod, the children quickly tailed him and the three made their way out of the trees and back to where they need to be. And upon arriving, all the explosive Hero could see was people moving about, with the UA students being organized by class and the guests by connection, getting seated as the principal waited patiently up upon the lectern on small stage that was set up.

Then Bakugou noticed Mandalay of the Wild Pussycats briskly approach, Kouta removing his horned cap when she reached them. "Kouta, please don't run off like that again…" She said, panting as though she ran the whole campus. The boy just grumbled something inaudible before going to stand by her. The older woman bowed to the explosive Hero and he returned the gesture with a nod before leaving with Kouta in tow. But not before the boy gave an awkward wave to Eri, which she readily and happily reciprocated.

"Come on, time to get back to everyone else." Bakugou said, nudging the horned girl. Eri nodded and they started to comb through the mass of people for signs of Class 1A. And as it turned out, they were closest to the front of this collection of people, being the most important of the classes and the one closest to Midoriya.

"Hey man, were you off taking a whiz?" Sero asked with a slight snicker. Bakugou just stared at the tape shooter and noted how forced the laugh seemed. In fact, the good mood in which the class displayed before leaving the dorm was just barely present. It was like looking at soldiers coming back home after being thrown straight into the fires of Hell. Granted, that's a fairly apt description of the events that brought them all here in the first place.

"Sure Soy Sauce Face, let's go with that." Bakugou answered, sitting in the open seat between Kirishima and Kaminari. Eri went on and sat in Uraraka's lap, the noise and din that surrounded the space slowly dying down as seats were filled and people began concluding their conversations. Principal Nezu slowly scanned the crowd before him, clearing his voice to signify the start of the memorial.

"Good morning everyone and thank you for coming to commemorate this special day. Two and a half weeks ago, Shigaraki Tomura and his League of Villains began his siege against Japan, her people, and the peace we've fought hard to secure. But despite the efforts of our Heroes, Police officers, and JSDF soldiers, with many losing their lives in that dreadful battle, the near myriad Quirks and abilities that Shigaraki has accumulated made the chance for victory all but impossible. Even our gifted Heroes-in-Training, who we had to unfortunately deploy against the threat, couldn't do so much as pester the near Godlike Villain. It was our darkest hour…" He began grimly. But as he paused for effect, an unmistakable glimmer shined within his dark eyes.

"But through the despair and desolation, one courageous soul rose from the dust and once more challenged the Villain in the name of all that was good. The country who has seen that fateful duel, broadcasted on all frequencies and mediums due to one of Shigaraki's Quirks, has given this individual many names between then and now. The Emerald Enforcer, Madman the Maximum, the Defender of Hope, Small Might, the Saint of UA, the One True Hero… But we know him better as Midoriya 'Deku' Izuku."

"In our age of numerous, fantastic Quirks, young Midoriya was part of the rare population of Quirkless individuals. As such, his dream to be a Hero was cut short before it even had a chance to begin. However, he never gave up the possibility, continued to reach out towards that distant horizon, and he got his chance when he crossed paths with All Might. Impressed with his courageous heart, our Symbol of Peace granted him the power that would go on to save us all, One for All. Thus, beginning his Hero's Journey, with each step towards the future forging him into a better individual. And through the many trials and tribulations fate has thrusted upon him, Midoirya fought valiantly and at many times snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Even in his finest and regrettably last hour, he chose to resist the terrible machinations of Shigaraki and brought us our salvation. So, to honor the Hero who saved Japan, we sculpted this statue and hope that his presence will inspire future generations of Heroes that'll walk these grounds."

With those words, the large tarp that covered the 'special project' was removed, revealing statue made in Deku's image. All gasped in awe at the details that made the stone Hero, making it seem like the statue was alive. From his curly hair, to the costume he wore, to even the freckles on his face, the work of art just emanated the presence of the Hero in Green.

Bakugou stared at the monument to his deceased rival, hearing the many happy comments that surrounded him. He admitted that the craftsmanship of the piece was sublime, but the audacious smile that was etched on his face left a sour taste in the explosive Hero's mouth for some reason. The principal let out a cough and all attention came back to him.

"But as great as the Hero he has become, that's only telling you half of Midoriya's story. Like all of you, Midoriya was a young man who lived his life hanging out with friends, spent time with family, and studying under his teachers. But what kind of student was he to his teachers? What kind of friend was he to his peers? What kind of son was he to his parents? So, it is with my deep pleasure to present to you the many speakers who will be expressing those sentiments. And with that said, the stage is yours." Nezu said before giving a deep bow. The congregation let out a thunderous applause for the mammalian principal as he left, his place on the lectern being taken by Aizawa.

And so began the numerous speeches made by the individuals whose lives were impacted by the One True Hero. From Aizawa and the rediscovery of his faith in aspiring Heroes, to Mirio and his admiration of his underclassman's spirit, to Shinsou and his newfound understanding of where Midoriya's strength laid… They all had spoken from the depths of their heart and Bakugou could feel the surges of their emotions. And as such, he and everyone else couldn't turn away from the speakers, no matter how much time has passed. Gran Torino finished his speech and slowly walked off as gentle applause once more filled the air, with eyes looking around for the next individual and became confused when no one else stood. Yet the principal has yet to come up again to say his closing thoughts…

Bakugou took a deep breath, it's now or never. He stood, and he could feel all eyes immediately lock onto him. Whilst he was always the center of attention, especially during the Sports Festival when he had to give the Athlete's Oath, this time, he wanted to do nothing more than to squirrel away somewhere and wait for the fire to die out. But if he were to do that, then a part of him will no doubt die and will become unrecoverable.

With his body now behind the lectern, he removed the sheets of paper he had and laid them out upon the wooden surface. The explosive Hero then looked out towards the crowd, carefully examining the faces of the guests. Several were surprised, like Class 1B, while other were waiting for his words with anticipation, like the Midoriya family. But 1A didn't have any kind of reaction, silently knowing that he had something to say about his childhood friend. So with another deep breath for clarity…

"My name is Bakugou Katsuki, one of the Hero-in-Training of 1A, and Deku's long time… Friend…" He began slowly, controlling the shaking in his voice. The word 'friend' seemed to hang in the air awkwardly, many not convinced that he meant the word in the way it was defined. The explosive Hero took another deep breath and soldiered on, looking at his sheets he had prepared the night before… But the more he stared at the strokes of ink, the more they seemed like incoherent scribbles. With a moment of pause, he flipped the pages over, and laid them down with the blank side facing up.

He can't do it like this…

"To tell you the truth, I've wrote something yesterday so that I could be ready today… But it's dishonest and not fair to those who have spilled their hearts out both today and the days before. So I'll do the same, but in my own, unaltered words. And, as most of you know, that would mean listening in on one of the foulest mouths that you had the misfortune of hearing. Anyone who doesn't want to be offended by my words or the things I say about our One True Hero, leave now and be spared of my ranting."

Despite this blatant warning before a literal verbal shit storm, Bakugou saw that absolutely no one moved. Not even the few children that were in the audience, he could even see Eri resisting Uraraka who was no doubt trying to get the horned girl away from his harsh words. In fact, the audience was anticipating it more.

"Last chance." He warned. But again, not a single soul present budged, all rooted to the seats they were in with fiery determination… Almost as though they were taunting the explosive Hero to do his worst.

"Alright… You asked for it… For most of the time I've known Deku, he was nothing more than a… A fucking piss rag." He could already hear a few gasps, disapproving murmurs, and feel the piercing hatred chew through him, but he couldn't stop. Not here. "Yeah, I said it. And for the longest time, that opinion stuck, and I treated him like the little shit he was. To me, Deku was a useless, Quirkless, little bitch and only existed to make me look better! He had no worth! I even told him to throw himself off the roof!"

Now the crowd was in an uproar, throwing insults and other colorful words at him. Even 1A, who had showed no reaction to his words, had begun to scowl over his admittance in trying to get Midoriya to commit suicide. The teachers grew antsy, and Bakugou knew that they were trying to decide whether to remove him from the scene. But the Principal only gave his signature calm smile and Aizawa was giving a stoic nod, almost as though they were goading him to continue. Which he would, even without outside influence.

"But no matter how much I turned the whole damn world on him, that fucking nerd still reached out to me!" Bakugou continued, successfully shouting for the crowd to hear him. "When that Sludge Villain was choking me, when I was kidnapped by Villains at Kamino, when fell off a log into a puddle deep stream when we were kids… Deku would reach out to me without a damn second thought! Over the last few days, I've been thinking about why I've been such an ass to him… And I now understand the truth."

Like one of his own explosions, that last statement caused the once outraged congregation to come to an uneasy stillness. Carefully listening and weighing every words and action that would inevitably come out of his body. The explosive Hero took a deep breath and opened his mouth, feeling the weight of his words and the burden on his shoulders.

"I was… Afraid. For all my power and bluster, I realized that I could never be half the Hero Deku was and I became scared that my whole existence would mean nothing. That, somehow, I was the target of some bullshit conspiracy aimed to making my life Hell and he was part of it. But don't misunderstand me, I'm not trying to claim that I'm the victim… No, I'm the fucking monster who raged and turned Deku into a punching bag because I let my pride tell me what to do. I thoroughly convinced myself that he was the Villain of my story, so I did absolutely everything I could to beat and break him… Never realizing that I was becoming the very thing I hated."

Bakugou didn't know what kind of face he was making, but it must be severely pitiable if it made the once raging audience turn silent. And given how, in the past, the explosive Hero would never allow anyone to see him in moments of weakness, this sight must be new to most of the people present. But though his image as a confident and capable fighter was broken, he couldn't care less about maintaining that ill-gotten reputation anymore…

"After that, I had to start looking for the differences between me and that nerd, discovering what it was that made him the Hero of this story... And as I stewed in despair this past week, I learned just what it was that made me fucking useless. To my classmates in 1A, I know you figured out that I wasn't myself but kept it to yourself because you didn't know how I would react… But because you let me be a part of your promises and declarations, I was able to find what I was missing. So what I'm going to say now will go to you as much as it will go to Deku." The explosive Hero swore his voice cracked for a moment as he hesitated an apology and it threatened to release the tears that he held back since waking up in the hospital. But he mustered enough willpower to stall it for a little while longer, he wasn't finished yet and crying now would just ruin the words he needed to say.

"Where I only trusted myself to do anything, Deku had the faith to believe in other people to watch his back." Bakugou's eyes went to Mineta, momentarily meeting as the little imp gave him a subtle affirming nod.

"Where I was afraid of the truth and let it turn me into a Villain, Deku had the courage to face the impossible and became a true Hero." His eyes went to Kirishima, Kouda, and Aoyama, all of them having light twinkling in their eyes as the red-haired Hero gave him a toothy grin.

"Where I stupidly ignored the lessons and words taught to me by my teachers, Deku eagerly took in everything he could learn and furthered his wisdom." His eyes went to Mina and Kaminari, who were both giving him an inappropriately cheery but resolute thumb's up gesture.

"Where I was only a Hero in name and acted like a Villain for most of my life, Deku was a Hero in both heart and spirit since the day I met him." His eyes went to Iida and Todoroki, who gave small smiles to urge him on and complete this cathartic moment.

"Where I could never admit to my weaknesses and grow out of my habits, Deku had the strength to say he was weak and became someone better." His eyes went to Tsuyu, Uraraka, and Eri, who looked back warmly and radiated an air of calm that put him at ease.

But the moment he tried to move on to his final point, the greatest contrast between him and Deku, he felt his stomach tying itself into knots. One lone thought popping in his head began robbing him of his momentum, locking Bakugou in a silence that choked him in regret. Mostly because had it not been for this one virtue, everyone's lives would be irreversibly different, and no one would be here to commemorate this day. It was a terrifying… To have a single trait determine the fate of the country and possibly the world… And he had previously loathed to show such a thing.

Still, the others in 1A had to come to terms with something like this as well. And when he looked at the class he fought alongside of, the apprehension in his chest began to unwind. The flames in their eyes had not wavered since the day it first appeared, burning bright with the determination to move forward and go beyond. So with a hard swallow, Bakugou opened his mouth and finally spoke with a slightly shaky voice.

"Where Deku could reach out no matter how broken he was… Where he could bring smiles to the people he meets… Where he could laugh and cry with those who needed him… Where he would stand up again and again to protect the world he loved just because he could… Where he could thank the one person who turned his precious little life in a miserable Hell hole…"

The explosive Hero's vision blurred, hot tears stinging his eyes and turning his cheeks into streams. His grip was now tight enough to have his fingernails dig into his palm and draw blood, almost as though he was hanging onto the thread of life itself. His face finally crumbling to the burden of losing the one person that held out his hand to help him out of the creek, no matter what.

"I never had the kindness to take that hand… Make people genuinely happy… Be willing to share a moment… Hold up the world and ask for nothing in return… Say 'thank you for saving my life'… I could never do any of that… I thought a Hero didn't need anything like that… But here I am, before a True Hero, crying because I couldn't be more wrong! Crying because I beat him with my ideals! Crying because I could never admit that… That…"

Bakugou, drowning in the oncoming rush of memories, couldn't keep the remnants of his composure and placed his face into one of his hands. He didn't know what was going on around him, what the others were thinking about any of this. Not that it mattered to him, he needed to speak those feelings he locked away for so long. He could almost feel like someone was going to ask him to sit, but he won't allow it. Or else the words he needed to bring forth was going to be lost in the void. The explosive Hero mustered the will to press on, like the friend and rival that sacrificed himself.

"That Deku was my Hero too… He never doubted my allegiances, no matter how Villainous I acted. He never was afraid to throw himself between danger and the weak, even when he knew was going to lose. He praised me for my achievements without a hint of sarcasm, even if I took it as a challenge. He was the best of us, and I can see why all of you followed him to end." The explosive Hero admitted before growing silent.

But what had that meant for him? Bakugou wasn't sure where he stood in the grand scheme of things now that the smoke was subsiding. The main question being, could he still be a Hero despite what he's done? The explosive Hero did have an honest desire to become one, but his own pride had twisted that into one Hell of misguided attempt. He can even feel the remnants of his detestable pride trying to denounce Deku as some lucky upstart piece of shit. That he was the greatest Hero of their generation… But his conscious and subconscious mind knew better, though that left him in a frustratingly ambiguous situation of 'To be or not to be'.

So, in search for an answer, he wiped at his tears, clearing his eyes, and looked out to the crowd. And to his utter surprise, the scornful glares that had once burned itself into his head were reduced to looks of pity and sympathy. No matter where he looked or whomever his eyes met, he could feel the person's encouragement. It was strange to say the least, to reveal so much and yet be absolved of them all on the same day. Bakugou's eyes went to those he has spoken to today and tried to ascertain their thoughts on him.

Gran Torino, his ancient face producing an approving smile as his eyes were fired with interest. As though wondering where this new path shall take the explosive Hero next.

Kouta, initially looking skeptical, had a moment of reflection before giving him a daring smirk. As though the young boy was challenging him to attempt to become a better Hero than Deku.

Inko and Hisashi, along with Bakugou's own parents Mitsuki and Masaru, were giving him supportive and friendly stares. As though they acknowledged how much he has matured over this period.

Bakugou made one last look at the classmates he and Midoriya had fought alongside with, noting the look etched upon their faces. Despite the intensity of their steely stare, something about it was welcoming and the explosive Hero had found himself being pulled into something greater. This feeling of acceptance burned away at the fog that lined at his path and he found clarity amidst the self-doubt. He finally has his answer after it had eluded him for so long.

And for good measure, he swore he felt some phantom urging him forward from this starting line. "On the day I first woke up after that battle, I became unsure of what I was… And over the course of the last few days, I became further lost in uncertainty as my classmates could attest to. I even considered to quit being a Hero since I never did anything remotely Heroic… However, looking upon the people present here, I think I know what I need to do…"

"I'm not perfect, I know that too well now, so I'll try my hardest to live by the standard Deku had laid out for m– for us. I'll be considerate to my fellow Heroes, look after those who can't protect themselves, and generally stop being a huge dick trying to inflate his fragile ego. Maybe I'll fail and go back to my old deluded ways… Maybe I'll fail a thousand times over before I get there… Or maybe I'll die a Villain long before I become the Hero… But I'll carry on. And along with the people I've grown to call friends, I'll protect this new era Deku had brought us."

"And so I don't forget what I said here… I'll declare my Hero name and what it means right here, before you and the eyes of the One True Hero. For as long as he known me, Deku has called me 'Kacchan', a harmless and cute sounding nickname. But just like how he made his nickname into something he can be proud of with someone's help, I'll do the same with mine using the help you've given me. It'll have my own flair of course, but it'll still hold the feelings I feel right now and the power he once admired. My name is Catachan and today will be my starting line. Because for the Deku who went beyond and reached out to me, I'll go Plus Ultra and reach back. Thank you for giving me this chance."

There was a grand applause over this powerful declaration as Bakugou gave a thoughtful bow to the crowd. He has come quite far from his initial start, but still has a long road ahead of him. However, so long as he remembered this moment and why he chose his name, the explosive Hero had nothing to fear. Besides, even if he made mistakes, he had classmates to look out for him and catch him the same way they caught Midoriya. Things will never be the same from here on out…

But at the very least, Bakugou and everyone present had the will to carry on the flame Midoriya had carried. The explosive Hero won't know what will be waiting for them, but he knows they'll be ready for it. The explosive Hero stood back up and looked over the energetic crowd and gave a small smile before turning to face the statue of the One True Hero. As he looked at the statue, its calming presence bright against the blue sky, his smile turned into a challenging smirk. It wasn't a gesture done out of spite or arrogance, but out of an honest desire to challenge the Hero who has sacrificed so much for the sake of the world.

"Make some room you glorious bastard, we're on our way to the top."

And it is from this moment onward that Aizawa saw where their resolve would take them. In the coming months, 1A didn't just hit the ground running after accepting Midoriya's death… They soared heads and shoulders above all others... All upon the wings he left behind.

* * *

 ***Crawls out from the depths of Writing Hell***

 **And that was Chapter 7 and the end of What He Left Behind. My God, this chapter was even worse to write than the last one. I had to think about a why Bakugou acts like an asshole and break that down to it's most basic components. And these were the results.  
**

 **"Stuff like this is basically a character study. Besides, its always fun to break someone to study their inner machinations."**

 **But damn is it hard to put them back together in a cohesive manner is even more difficult... Like with everyone else before, I had to find a plausible path for Bakugou to come out of his depressive state. And for a good while, I got stuck on the many different interactions Bakugou had this chapter. Which wasn't helped by my brother, who kept shooting down certain parts, but I supposed that made for a better story in the end. Also, I had clear idea what Bakugou's Hero name would be from the beginning, and it's a reference to Warhammer 40000.  
**

 **"I guess it's only appropriate."**

 **So, I can only hope that this was a conclusion that you, the audience, found enjoyable and will leave me a response that'll tell me what's good/bad about it.  
**

 **"Remember, only you can stop bad writers from writing bad fan fiction."**

 **In other news, I'll be moving on back to my other projects that I've neglected all this time, about time I did some kind of update for them. Unfortunately, I have another idea waiting in the wings that has piqued my interest as I draft down the details. So when it comes around, I hope you'll take a look at it and bask in horror.**

 **"I'll just be laughing all the way to the salt bank."**

 **I'm sure you would Eris. Any how, I'm going to be working on an edit to one chapter in Heroic Inheritors next due to recent manga revelations. And after that, two new chapters before the start of the next arc. Now, those two chapters were written WAY before I started What He Left Behind, so be warned that the quality is going to be much different from this story.**

 **"Such is the ways of writing everything ahead of posting... Once your schedule is fucked up, the discrepancy count is up the wazoo."**

 **It's how normal authors do things before sending things into the publishing house... Speaking of which, I also have an original idea being developed, so wish me luck on that front too. But that is all I have to say for this week and I hope you'll be around for what appears next.**

 **"It will be legendary!"**

 **So with that said... Until Next Time. T1.**


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